Sinn Fein misusing city hall for ‘political’ Irish language campaign: DUP

Brian Kingston was commenting after a city council committee passed a Sinn Fein motion calling for the building illuminated red on May 20.

The illumination will take place on the eve of an Irish language rights protest in the city on Saturday, May 21.

Speaking last year, Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh from An Dream Dearg said: “The consistent failure to ensure rights-based language legislation for our community is fully at odds with all of our main political agreements. We have consistently stood against those who would continue to marginalise, exclude and ignore our legitimate demands for rights and respect.”

At the monthly meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee the Sinn Fein motion was passed with only the DUP abstaining on the proposal.

Cllr Kingston said: “Our main concern is that this is in the realm of using city hall for what is essentially a political campaign. This is part of a campaign for an Irish language act, which is primarily a political campaign and... using city hall for a political objective.

“It is disappointing that this matter was put on the agenda so late so that is why we abstained.”

Speaking to the News Letter, Cllr Kingston added: “We understand the Irish language exists, and that people have a right to speak it, but our position is always that, in terms of the use of the Irish language in public services, it should be proportionate.

“We don’t need everything provided in duplicate, in both English and Irish. English is the working language of the country. We try to have sensible policies relating to Irish language.”

The motion states: “This council supports the campaign for Irish language rights and the implementation of Irish language legislation. It is long overdue that the citizens of this city and beyond are recognised in law, as promised in many of our peace agreements.

“On Saturday May 21, thousands will travel to the City Hall to support the Dream Dearg campaign. We call on the council to support their campaign and also extend a huge welcome and céad míle fáilte to the thousands who will travel to be here for An Lá Dearg 2022. As an act of solidarity and support from the Council, we will, on Friday May 20, illuminate the City Hall in red”.

Cllr Séanna Walsh, who tabled the motion, said: “I would like to clear up something in the media this week. ‘An Dream Dearg’ means the red crowd, it has nothing to do with a dream.

“On May 21 there are going to be crowds from all over Ireland – north, south, east and west – converging on Belfast.

“Dearg will represent the anger that people feel with the way that the Irish language is being treated in our local administrations and also more recently by the Westminster government.”