'I won't ask Pol Deeds to investigate himself' - Jamie Bryson slams ombudsman response to Irish tsar complaint
Northern Ireland’s public services ombudsman NIPSO has told Jamie Bryson that he should email a complaint about Stormont’s new Irish language chief directly to him – but the loyalist activist says he won’t do that as he’d be “a judge in his own case”.
It follows media reports last month, in which Irish language commissioner Pól Deeds reportedly said “I don’t even want his name in my mouth” when asked about online comments by Mr Bryson. He also accused him of having “poison and enmity”.
That prompted a complaint from Mr Bryson to NIPSO – but the watchdog has rejected it, saying he must first raise the issue with Mr Deeds directly.
The loyalist campaigner says he will not do that – as it is asking the commissioner to investigate himself, and “be a judge in his own case”. He has urged NIPSO to accept his complaint, or face a judicial review of its decision.
The ombudsman says it does not normally accept complaints until the public body involved has had a chance to respond, and rectify any concerns itself. However, Mr Bryson says that there is no complaints procedure available.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Irish language Commissioner said it is “newly established and is currently completing work on a set of policies including a complaints procedure”.
Mr Bryson told the News Letter: “NIPSO’s position doesn’t pass the laugh test. They suggest that prior to considering a complaint, that first the Irish Language Commissioner must be asked to investigate himself.
“Firstly, the Irish Language Commissioner is in and of himself the body corporate. He is the alpha and omega. Asking the Irish Language Commissioner to investigate himself is to invite him to be a judge in his own case. NIPSO are meant to investigate maladministration; given this suggestion they too should investigate themselves.
“Secondly, there is no complaints procedure available. They suggest dropping Pol Deeds an email to complain to him, about him, and ask him to investigate himself.
“I won’t be asking Pol Deeds to investigate himself. NIPSO will accept this complaint or they will themselves become the focus of Judicial Review.”
Maladministration is another term for mismanagement, and NIPSO has found a number of public bodies guilty of this after investigations.
In February, Jamie Bryson said language used by Mr Deeds (in Irish and translated into English) was “very unbecoming for an official commissioner” and he should “breathe”.
Mr Bryson has been involved in a series of legal actions over Executive policy on the Gaelic language – and has repeatedly questioned the powers of the commissioner’s office.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that Mr Deeds had questioned the legality of the loyalist’s court challenges – saying “they” cannot “put a complete stop to things”.
The newspaper reported Mr Deeds as saying: “I know that the applicant in the court case involving the Grand Central Station is saying quite a lot on social media at the moment, and there are a few other people in political life saying extremely negative things about me, and about the Act, and about the Office of the Commissioner, and about the Irish language in general.”
“He is going through these court cases, week after week, and I don’t know how he has the support he has…I do not myself believe that this is entirely lawful, and I will be questioning that.”
“I believe this is happening to assist a particular political viewpoint that is opposed to Irish. I do not believe it is in the public interest, as this person claims.”
“Although he has poison and enmity, I have a law, and I will do my best to enforce that law. They understand that they cannot put a complete stop to things...”, he said.
A spokesperson for the Irish Language Commissioner previously told the News Letter that the Belfast Telegraph article “includes a translation of parts of an interview” and that he “notes the commentary on some of the issues raised in the article and has no further comment to make at this time”.