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| Sinn Féin rejects Arlene Foster's compromise over Irish language act | Sinn Féin rejects Arlene Foster's compromise over Irish language act |
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| Sinn Féin has rejected Arlene Foster’s offer of a compromise over an Irish language act for Northern Ireland, casting doubt on talks aimed at restoring power sharing before they restart. | Sinn Féin has rejected Arlene Foster’s offer of a compromise over an Irish language act for Northern Ireland, casting doubt on talks aimed at restoring power sharing before they restart. |
| Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin leader in the Stormont assembly, accused Foster and the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), which she leads, of failing to learn any lessons from the collapse of the previous government. | |
| O’Neill said the late Martin McGuinness had resigned as deputy first minister in January because the DUP had reneged on agreements to introduce equality measures including an Irish language act. | |
| Referring to Foster’s keynote speech to the DUP ruling executive on Thursday night, during which she called for a comprehensive deal on cultural issues in Northern Ireland, O’Neill said on Friday: “The statement by the DUP leader demonstrates they have not listened or acknowledged the reasons of Martin’s resignation. | Referring to Foster’s keynote speech to the DUP ruling executive on Thursday night, during which she called for a comprehensive deal on cultural issues in Northern Ireland, O’Neill said on Friday: “The statement by the DUP leader demonstrates they have not listened or acknowledged the reasons of Martin’s resignation. |
| “Establishing an executive that may collapse after a matter of months on the same issues will only fail all our people. Let’s agree to quickly conclude talks on implementation and rights – that is the only way to build a sustainable executive that will last.” | “Establishing an executive that may collapse after a matter of months on the same issues will only fail all our people. Let’s agree to quickly conclude talks on implementation and rights – that is the only way to build a sustainable executive that will last.” |
| Her remarks raise serious doubts as to whether the DUP and Sinn Féin, the two biggest parties in the assembly, can reach an agreement leading to the restoration of devolution this autumn. Talks were expected to restart at Stormont between the five main parties within the next week or two. | Her remarks raise serious doubts as to whether the DUP and Sinn Féin, the two biggest parties in the assembly, can reach an agreement leading to the restoration of devolution this autumn. Talks were expected to restart at Stormont between the five main parties within the next week or two. |
| With the odds against the parties reaching a deal to restore a power-sharing government, it raises the prospect of a creeping return to direct rule by London-based ministers in the absence of a local administration. | With the odds against the parties reaching a deal to restore a power-sharing government, it raises the prospect of a creeping return to direct rule by London-based ministers in the absence of a local administration. |
| Robin Swann, the Ulster Unionist party (UUP) leader, said the speed of Sinn Féin’s rejection of Foster’s offer “makes it abundantly clear that Gerry Adams’s intransigence is still in place”. | |
| The UUP and DUP believe Adams still holds sway within Sinn Féin and is lukewarm about bringing back power sharing to Belfast. | The UUP and DUP believe Adams still holds sway within Sinn Féin and is lukewarm about bringing back power sharing to Belfast. |
| Earlier this month, he said there would be no Northern Ireland assembly without an Irish language act. Such an act would protect and promote the rights of Irish speakers in the region, putting the language on a par with English. | |
| During her speech, Foster said she did not regard the Irish language as a threat to the union or her Britishness. | |
| “We have nothing to fear from the Irish language, nor is it any threat to the union. We have previously supported practical measures for the Irish language and we will do so again if we can reach a wider agreement on these matters,” she told the executive. | “We have nothing to fear from the Irish language, nor is it any threat to the union. We have previously supported practical measures for the Irish language and we will do so again if we can reach a wider agreement on these matters,” she told the executive. |
| Foster, who was the first minister in the previous power-sharing government, which broke up ostensibly because of her refusal to temporarily stand down over a costly green energy scheme the DUP championed, said: “However, what we cannot and will not do is simply to agree to one-sided demands. | |
| “I have also heard from those within the unionist community who hear others speaking about respect, while at the same time they engage in a campaign to denigrate and demonise any and all aspects of our British identity in Northern Ireland, or insult the Ulster Scots community. This is not acceptable.” | “I have also heard from those within the unionist community who hear others speaking about respect, while at the same time they engage in a campaign to denigrate and demonise any and all aspects of our British identity in Northern Ireland, or insult the Ulster Scots community. This is not acceptable.” |
| The DUP leader said issues such as the Irish language “should not have a greater priority than health or education or the economy”. | The DUP leader said issues such as the Irish language “should not have a greater priority than health or education or the economy”. |