Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Alderman Newton and Councillors Hendron and Newton.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 23rd March, it had agreed that a special meeting be held to receive a presentation from representatives of POBAL on the use of the Irish language in public life.  It was reported that Ms J. Muller, POBAL, together with Mr. P. Primley, Translator, Central Translations (NI) Limited, were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting and welcomed by the Chairman.

            Prior to the commencement of the meeting, the Chairman outlined the proposed format of the presentation and question and answer session which would be conducted in both the Irish language and in English.

            With the assistance of visual aids, Ms Muller outlined the results of the 2001 Census in relation to the use of the Irish language which indicated that 167,000 people in Northern Ireland had a knowledge of Irish, with 36,317 of those living in Belfast.  She stated that 50% of those persons lived outside West Belfast and highlighted a number of district Wards where people had indicated a knowledge of Irish.

            Ms. Muller then referred to an opinions survey which had been undertaken earlier in the year by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.  She indicated that it was a small sample survey which highlighted that 70% of the respondents were in favour of the use of the Irish language or were neither in favour nor against it.  Of those, 66% of Catholics and 14% of Protestants were in favour of the use of the language in public life, whilst 40% of Protestants were neither in favour nor against. 

            She then reviewed the legislative and policy background to the use of the Irish language in public services, which included the Good Friday Agreement, the St. Andrew’s Agreement, the St. Andrew’s Act 2006 and the Education Order 2000, which had placed a duty on the Department of Education for Northern Ireland to “encourage and facilitate Irish Medium education”.  She referred specifically to the Treacy Judgement 2011, which related to the transport system for schooling, which stated that the Government had a duty to provide for pupils in the Irish-Medium Education and that such education should be treated as a special case. 

            She referred also to the duties imposed on public bodies in respect of the use of Irish as outlined in International Charters and Conventions such as the Human Rights Act and Convention, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.  She indicated that a Committee of Experts reviewed the application of the European Charter for Regional Minority Languages every three years and the last findings, which had been published in 2010, had indicated that the Committee was not content with the progress which had been made in Northern Ireland in implementing changes.

            Ms. Muller then referred to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and stated that the Advisory Committee had published earlier this year its third report which indicated that there was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.