Stormont Committee to probe £145k move to build Irish language signs in Belfast's new Grand Central Station

The Assembly’s Infrastructure Committee today (26th) agreed to “scope out” how, when and why the decision was made, with chair Deborah Erskine MLA saying it was “embarrassing" to be carrying out work that expensive in a station that is “only open for six months”.

Both she and fellow DUP MLA Keith Buchanan complained they find it difficult to get everyday roadworks carried out in their areas due to budget cuts, yet the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has now been able to, as Mr Buchanan put it, “find £145,000 down the back of a sofa”.

Mrs Erskine also stated the move hadn’t been run through full equality checks, a decision she said was made by the DfI’s own officials.

However the Irish language signs and ticket vending machines were defended by SDLP MLA Mark Durkan, who argued they should have been built before Grand Central opened.

The move to install dual language signage was announced on Monday (24th) by Sinn Fein Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, to widespread criticism from unionists.

During this morning’s committee meeting, Mrs Erskine said the DfI has set aside £145,000 of public money to pay for new Irish signs at the Translink-owned station, and voiced concerns over how that decision was reached.

“The department has been able to find £145,000, yet I’m having difficulty getting potholes repaired in my constituency,” she said.

"This is ratepayers’ money and the station is only open for six months; quite frankly, it’s embarrassing that we’re now in the scenario where we’re changing signage. Just because you’re a minister, it doesn’t mean you can indulge in things you like.”

She also stated that DfI officials were “solely driving” a decision not to take the signs to a full Equality Impact Assessment, and said the entire situation left her with questions over “the commercial independence of Translink”.

Mrs Erskine added that she felt committee needs to “scope out the decision-making” and “seek answers from the minister and Translink”.

“Outside of these walls, £145,000 is a lot of money for people,” she stated. “I just think we need to scope out the how, what, were, why and when.”

Mr Buchanan stated that he’s been trying, without success, to sort out a safety issue in his area that forces children to walk alongside traffic on an open road connecting two parts of a village, and questioned why so much cash is being given to the signs.

"I can’t get a footpath I’ve been longing for for two years,” he said. “Does the minister see those children’s safety as not as important as the Irish language?”

“Our budgets are being cut, yet we can find £145,000 down the back of a sofa. I think the priorities are all wrong.”

Although Mr Durkan agreed to check into the decision, he felt the signs are justified, stating they “should have been done at the start”.

"The station itself cost £340m,” he said. “In terms of a percentage, £145,000 is miniscule.”

The committee agreed to probe the decision-making process over Grand Central’s Irish language signs.