A ROW has erupted in Belfast City Council over a decision on whether to extend the timeframe for residents to respond to dual language street sign requests from 21 days to 28 days.
At People and Communities Committee last month, councillors agreed to re-survey the 20 streets where residents’ responses had been impacted upon by a postal service issue and to extend the survey response time to 14 days to 21 days. The proposal came as a result of Royal Mail postal changes which has impacted on the delivery of second-class mail.
Over 3,000 residents in streets across the city include Lagmore Downs, Upper Dunmurry Lane, Lagmore View Crescent, Colinvale and Bearnagh Drive in West Belfast and Oldpark Road, Cliftondene Gardens, Sunningdale Gardens, Alexandra Gardens and Skegoneill Avenue in the north of the city are to be re-surveyed.
At October's monthly meeting of Belfast City Council on Wednesday night, DUP councillor Ruth Brooks called for the period of time permitted to allow for the receipt of responses for dual language surveys be extended to 28 days instead of 21 days.
She questioned if Sinn Féin were "scared" of people actually responding to a request for a dual-language street sign and stressed the extension was only "a week".
Sinn Féin councillor Ciarán Beattie described the proposal as another "attack on the Irish language" and another "tactic" to delay.
DUP councillor Sarah Bunting said the issue was about "fairness" to allow people time to return the consultations.
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said people on the Shore Road do not want Irish street signs and said people instead would prefer ratepayers' money spent on bin collections, better playparks, community centres and other issues.
His speech sparked arguments and jibes across the chamber.
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough
Alliance councillor Jenna Maghie called for all councillors to respect each other and focus on the proposal.
DUP Alderman James Lawlor said such debates will continue in the chamber because he was elected to represent the people of his constituency.
Councillor Maghie reminded him that she was also elected by people in her DEA and will continue to speak up for them too.
Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McLaughlin stressed: "It was 14 days. There was an issue with Royal Mail that caused delays. That is why we agreed to extend it to 21 days which was the appropriate measure to enable residents time to come back.
"The DUP just want to dither and delay anything to do with the Irish language. There is no reason to extend it to 28 days whatsoever."
A vote on Councillor Brook's proposal to extend the timeframe to 28 days was lost defeated with 28 votes for and 30 against.
