Tuesday 22 September 2009

Caitriona Ruane


…de UTV:

The Education Minister in Northern Ireland has warned that the Irish language needs to be enshrined in law.

Caitriona Ruane highlighted the lack of an Irish Language Act after a meeting with a European committee probing the implementation of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

"For our part Sinn Fein is totally committed to securing effective, rights based legislation for Irish speakers here in the north," she said.

Former DUP Culture, Arts and Leisure minister Edwin Poots in 2007 opposed an Irish language act.

Unionists are keen to develop the use of Ulster Scots.

But Ms Ruane said: "I stressed with the committee that the work that my department and others such as the DRD have been engaged in is taking place in the absence of both an effective rights-based Irish language act, despite the British Government committing themselves to this at St Andrews, as well as in absence of the languages strategy as promised by successive DUP culture ministers."

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