DUP/Sinn Fein coalition delivers its latest boost to Irish language
11 January 2011
Attacking Conor Murphy’s proposal for bi-lingual traffic signs, TUV Leader Jim Allister identified it as part of the Sinn Fein plan under devolution for eliminating Northern Ireland’s Britishness and, in particular, ‘the greening of the west’. With local councils given control, areas with nationalist majorities will have free rein to ram Irish down everyone’s throat.
In a statement Mr Allister said:-
“The recent water crisis showed that the Department of Regional Development has quite enough to be getting on with without concerning itself with the introduction of bilingual traffic signs.
“Unionists will not be fooled by Murphy’s nod and wink towards the Ulster-Scots movement. These proposals have one aim and one only – the gradual erosion of Northern Ireland’s Britishness
“There is no compulsion under the Charter on Minority Languages to take this step, particularly where Murphy is forced to concede that there is a negative impact on the unionist community, something, of course, about which he cares nothing. What we see here is a partisan, divisive device to further expunge Northern Ireland’s British identity. It is but the latest abuse of power under devolution by a Sinn Fein minister, who can’t provide the basic service of water to citizens, but has time to dream up schemes to peddle the Gaelic agenda.
I look forward to those who told us they had arrested the advance of the Irish language and had ensured no minister could act alone, now blocking this overtly divisive proposition. Politics apart, on road safety grounds it is folly, because the more cluttered a school sign, for example, becomes, the less effective it is.
“TUV will respond to these proposals in detail in due course but even a cursory glance reveals that they are seriously flawed”.
