MPs from six political parties have come together to call on the British government to deliver the Irish language legislation published in New Decade New Approach.
The New Decade New Approach agreement (January 2020) committed parties and Governments to implementing Irish language legislation within 100 days.
In June, the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis gave the Stormont Assembly a final deadline of September 2021 to enact the legislation, committing to bringing forward legislation through Westminster by October 2021.
Today, MPs from the Labour, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin, Alliance, and SDLP joined Irish language advocacy group, Conradh na Gaeilge, at Westminster to call for the delivery of the legislation.
Dr Niall Comer, President, Conradh na Gaeilge, said: “Today’s cross-party MP support for the immediate delivery of the New Decade New Approach Irish language legislation, alongside the June commitment from the SoS Brandon Lewis MP, represents an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons.
"An Irish language Act is also supported in the Stormont Assembly by a majority of parties and a majority of MLAs. The New Decade New Approach agreement committed the Assembly to enact the legislation within 100 days. That deadline was missed, as was the September deadline set down by the SoS Brandon Lewis. Now, the SoS must deliver on his own agreed deadline, and move Irish language legislation in Westminster by the end of October.”
He added: “That gives the SoS and the British Government only a few short days to fulfil their commitment. It has been 15 years since the British Government initially promised to introduce an Irish language Act at the 2006 St Andrew’s Agreement. Now they find themselves, alongside the Irish Government, as co-guarantor of a new agreement, recommitting them to legislation that will protect and enhance the Irish language. The legislation will create a new Irish language commissioner, a suite of 'best-practice standards' for public bodies, and will repeal a 1737 penal law which has banned Irish from courts for centuries.
"The legislation has been agreed and published. The preparatory work within the Executive Office in Belfast has been ongoing. This is ready to go. There is no further legitimate or reasonable excuse for delay. The issue of Irish language rights remains a continuous immediate litmus test for all.”
