I also wonder do they have translators in the assembly, not just to translate for those MLA's who speak Irish but if Anna Lo starts to speak Chinese what happens then. When we have Polish or Portuguese elected as MLA's and they decide to speak their native tongue?An Ulster Unionist assembly member has said he is tired of listening to Stormont ministers speaking in Irish.
David McNarry has tabled a motion for debate seeking to have the practice stopped.
Mr McNarry said there was plenty of recognition already for the language and is also opposing proposed legislation for an Irish Language Act.
Caral Ni Chuillin said Sinn Fein would vigorously oppose the motion which she described as "unacceptable".
5.10.07
Do they speak Irish in the Dáil?
A recent news story has led me to ask 'Do they speak Irish in the Dáil?'
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2 comments:
Language ... a complicated area, where culture and politics overlap!
Irish (and Ulster Scots) do have a heightened status in Northern Ireland with in the Good Friday Agreement (amongst other places) and their status as indigenous minority languages (recognised by the EU as Level 3/Irish and Level 2/Ulster Scots).
With other unionist MLAs keen on Ulster Scots (DUP and UUP), David McNarry may be tramping on Jim Shannon's right to continue to speak Ulster Scots in the Assembly.
And that's not to say that there are lots of other minority languages prevalent in NI.
It was good to notice that the Ulster Bank recently moved to offer a version of their website in Polish, Portuguese, Lithuanian and Chinese.
I'm wondering was Jim Shannon speaking in Ulster/Scots on his mobile phone when driving in his jeep through Greyabbey the time I saw him all those months ago?
Alan, another question. If the Assembly have some Pentecostal/Charismatic Christian MLA's who are, as they say, anointed by the Spirit and start speaking in tongues, what sort of reaction would there be then?
You can tell the weekend is creeping up on me :-)
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