DUP minister Paul Givan has said he hopes the era of the “politicisation” of the Irish language is over, during a visit to west Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter.
The education minister dropped into Irish-medium youth group Glór na Móna in the Ballymurphy area on Wednesday, where he spoke with workers about funding for the sector, and chatted with pupils from the nearby Coláiste Feirste secondary school.
Organised by the Irish-medium youth sector body Fóram na nÓg - whose members met Mr Givan at Stormont in October - the visit is the latest move by a DUP minister to engage with Irish language organisations since the Executive was restored in February.
He was told of the “critical funding and infrastructural needs” facing Irish medium youth groups.
Mr Givan was the north’s communities minister in 2016 when he controversially cut £55,000 of funding for the Líofa bursary that brought up to 100 youngsters each year to Donegal’s Gaeltacht region - a move cited by late former Sinn Féin deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as one his reasons - alongside the Renewable Heating Initiative (RHI) scandal - for resigning in 2017 and bringing down the Executive.
In September Mr Givan sparked controversy when it emerged he turned down a meeting with Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge, but had met with the Loyalist Communities Council - which represents the UDA and UVF - who raised concerns over a planned new Irish language primary school in east Belfast.
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In the past, DUP members have criticised the “politicisation” of the Irish language by republicans.
Mr Givan told the Irish News on Wednesday: “I certainly hope (that era) is over in terms of the politicisation of the language, and I have said before - we shouldn’t be fearful of people’s identity and languages, and whether you converse in English, Irish-medium, Ulster Scots...we have many other languages now, eastern European languages that exist in Northern Ireland, so this isn’t something that should be viewed as a threat when it comes to the use of languages.”
He added: “My Northern Ireland is something which is big enough to accommodate everybody and that’s the approach that I want to take in terms of building up that society where we can show respect.”
Asked if he believed the same attitude was held by his DUP party colleagues, he said: “Yes, in terms of the approach that I’m articulating. That is something that is shared. We want to build a Northern Ireland which does respect and shows equality of treatment for everybody, that’s what I want to achieve - that’s the kind of society that we’re wanting to build.”
Fóram na nÓg director Orliath Mhic Leannáin said Mr Givan’s visit was a “step forward in ensuring our young people have the opportunities they deserve”.
“Our young people emphasised the urgent need for sustainable, long-term, and proportionate investment in the sector and we hope it signals a commitment to addressing the critical funding and infrastructural needs facing our sector,” she said.
Fóram na nÓg youth apprentice Eoghan Ó Conghaile said there was excitement in the sector amongst youngsters, particularly with plans for a new multi-purpose community and heritage hub, Croí na Carraige, at the west Belfast site.
However, he said they were “increasingly impatient with the lack of space” as Glór na Móna is currently operating out of mobile huts, adding: “This impatience is echoed across the sector.”
