CAL Committee Brief - Indigenous Language Policy

Statement to CAL Committe - Indigenous Language Policy - 31 January 2008

Mr Chairman you will be aware that I made a statement to the Assembly on the 16 October setting out my views on the proposed Irish Language Bill.

Subsequently I came before this Committee on the 25 October to answer questions on indigenous languages and to seek the views of the Committee on the way forward for language policy.

In addition, I wrote to you on the 12th December as a reminder that I would very much appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the view of the Committee in advance of finalising my own thoughts on these matters in advance of preparing a paper for the Executive Committee.

On the two occasions mentioned previously I outlined my reasons for not bringing forward legislation by way of an Irish Language Bill, namely:

-In view of the political sensitivities surrounding linguistic and cultural policy issues – the actual proposal to introduce an Irish Language Bill would clearly be divisive throughout our community and would not command the necessary support in the Assembly on the grounds of being incapable of securing sufficient consensus.

Legislation could seriously undermine the efforts of those in the Irish Language speaking community who genuinely want to develop the language in a de-politicised and wholly inclusive manner.

Costs of Irish Language Act

This table below sets out the existing expenditure and anticipated costs of introducing an Irish Language Act over a 5 and 10 year period.

Irish Language

(including anticipated expenditure on education)

Five Years                Ten Years

2008/09                    2008/09

to                                to

20112/13                    2017/18

Existing Irish language commitments                  £55.311m                £116.378m

(all NICS departments)

Addition estimated funding required as                £26.367m                £56.638m

a result of introducing Irish language

legislation

Sub Total                                                                    £81.678m                £173.016m

Existing commitments to Irish medium                 £56.330m                £118.522m

and higher education

Total expenditure on Irish language                  £138.008m              £291.538m

This costing exercise was focused on the 11 NICS departments, which employees in the region of 22,973 staff, and the NIO that employees approximately 2000. In the wider public sector including Local Government, Health trusts, Education and Library Boards and various NDPBs, 111,128 are employed.

If this modest exercise to estimate the costs of implementing a language scheme  approach within 11 NICS departments and the NIO were to be extrapolated across the wider public sector, and if, for example, the agreed language schemes required public bodies to provide bilingual services, the costs, in this scenario, would clearly be very significant.

Duties in the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006

As a community we are challenged to find new ways of managing our rich cultural diversity.  Indeed this is enshrined in the duty placed upon the Executive by the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 to adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language and to adopt a strategy setting out how it proposes to enhance and develop the Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture.

In this regard the UK Government signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages on 2 March 2000 and it was ratified on 27 March 2001.  The Charter came into force on 1 July 2001.  The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is an international convention designed to protect and promote regional and minority languages.  In Northern Ireland the Charter applies to Irish and Ulster-Scots.  The Committee of Experts examining the implementation of the Charter within the UK has recommended the development of a comprehensive policy for the Irish Language.

It is my assessment that the Council of Europe Charter for Regional or Minority Languages presents a more cost effective method to enhance and protect the development of the Irish language than that offered by proposed legislation.

I acknowledge that there are those in the Northern Ireland community that have legitimate aspirations to secure official recognition for Irish, and protection of that language and the other indigenous language, Ulster-Scots.

Ongoing work with indigenous Languages;

There are a range of projects and activities related to Irish and Ulster-Scots Languages currently being funded locally.

The existing commitments for the development of the Irish Language across all NI Departments over the next five years is £55m.

In addition to this figure there are also commitments to Irish medium and higher education estimated at £56 million over the next five years.

So even without introducing an Irish Language Act the Executive is schedule to spend approximately £111 million on Irish Language projects and education over the next five years.  A substantial amount of resource.

With regards to funding for the Ulster-Scots Agency, it is estimated that the Executive will spend £12.55 million over the next five years. There is also approximately £11million available for the establishment of a proposed Ulster-Scots Academy.     

Compliance with the Charter at present;

The UK Government has currently signed up to 36 provisions for the Irish Language under Part three of the Charter.  These relate to a range of activities from education to the media.

Ulster-Scots is currently recognised under Part 2 of the Charter and is not subject to the strength of provision made for Irish.  Work is ongoing with the Ulster-Scots community to strengthen the position of the language.

The UK is committed to providing a three year periodical report on Implementation of the Charter for each language it has agreed to protect, including Irish and Ulster-Scots.  A third report is due in June 2008, and will be coordinated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with input from each jurisdiction.  My Department will coordinate input from the Northern Ireland Departments in relation to Irish and Ulster-Scots

Following the UK’s report a Committee of Experts will visit the UK and report on implementation from an independent perspective.  At this stage stakeholder groups across the Irish Language and Ulster-Scots Community will have an opportunity to comment on implementation of the Charter.  Groups and individuals will be notified by the Council of Europe in advance of the visit by the Committee of Experts as this is an independent assessment.

The last Committee of Experts report in 2006 considered Northern Ireland to be largely compliant with our obligations, although they requested further information in relation to a number of specific obligations.  This additional information is to be supplied in the UK’s third periodical report.

Report on the work of the Inter-departmental Charter Implementation Group (ICIG);

The Inter-departmental Charter Implementation Group continues to monitor compliance with the Charter across Government Departments on a quarterly basis.  The last meeting of the group was in late January 2008.

This group is considering how best to take forward recommendations made by the Committee of Experts with regard to a Comprehensive Irish Language Policy and efforts to strengthen the position of Ulster-Scots.  It is likely that the group will recommend to Ministers that the development of strategies to implement the Charter under the Northern Ireland Act will be the most appropriate way to effect these recommendations.

I am content that the commitments given in relation to indigenous languages as outlined in the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 can be best met through the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

In doing so I want to recognise the full range of projects and educational activities currently supported to enhance, develop and project the Irish language and indeed the Ulster-Scots Language, Culture & Heritage.

It is against this background and subject to input from the Committee, that I purpose to bring forward a paper to the Executive Committee, aimed at meeting the commitments in the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006, within the context of the obligations placed upon us by the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

Thank you