Belfast Council Irish language bust-up sparked by plans for logo on staff uniforms

DUP says Irish language logo will be ‘forced’ onto staff uniforms but Sinn Féin accuses party of anti-Irish racism

Tempers have again flared at City Hall over Irish language issues, as Belfast Council agreed “in principle” to have a bilingual logo featuring Gaeilge as part of its emerging Irish Language Policy.

In scenes described by some councillors as “unedifying” at the full monthly Belfast Council meeting held on Monday (September 1), DUP and Sinn Féin elected representatives shouted across the chamber to berate each other over the Irish language.

The row began after the DUP said workers would be forced to wear uniforms with Irish on them, adding the consultation on the policy was “not worth the paper it was written on”.

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The DUP Mayor Tracy Kelly struggled to contain open dissent to chamber rules during heated exchanges between Sinn Féin Group Leader Councillor Ciaran Beattie and DUP Deputy Group Leader Alderman Dean McCullough. In the debate Councillor Beattie said that the DUP’s “anti-Irish” position was “racist” after DUP Councillor Sarah Bunting said “the council should not be signing blank cheques for vanity projects.”

The emerging Irish Language Policy was not agreed at the meeting, and it will be some months before it gets across the line, possibly not until next year.

Councillors were asked on Monday to agree to the minutes of the last Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, where in a secret session held away from the public and press last month, the chamber agreed on a number of points in relation to an update on the Irish Language Policy.

At that meeting, on a majority of 14 to five, the committee agreed to note the contents of the consultation on the Irish Language Policy, and agreed, “in principle,” to adopt a bilingual logo, subject to further engagement with trade unions and stakeholders and subject to further design work.

The committee also noted that a final version of the draft policy, together with a proposed implementation plan and options for an updated logo, would be brought to its next meeting.

At the full council meeting on Monday, these minutes were agreed after a proposal by DUP Group Leader Councillor Sarah Bunting failed. Her proposal called for the decision at the S,P and R Committee meeting to be amended for the council to “defer any decision on the draft Irish Language Policy until all costs for implementation are available, and the open and transparent details are put out for consultation on a platform that will only count responses from those who can prove they are a Belfast City Council resident or ratepayer.”

15 councillors from the unionist parties voted in favour of the DUP amendment, while 40 voted against it, from Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SDLP, the Green Party, and People Before Profit.

Councillor Bunting said: “This Irish Language Policy is being pushed forward on the back of the consultation paper, which quite frankly isn’t worth the paper it is written on. Why? Because the platform that is being used does not ask the respondents if they are a ratepayer or even a resident of this city.

“We also know that one organisation, that has a vested interest in this policy being passed, used their website to to direct people to the consultation online. That means people with no stake in this city, no civic pride in this city, no skin in the game, can dictate and influence decisions that our ratepayers will be forced to pay for. That is not democracy, that is manipulation of process.

“And this talk about the cost. We still don’t know what this policy will cost the people of Belfast. When this previously came before the committee and council, we were told by Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party that it was ok, it was only a consultation, there was nothing to be afraid of, and we will get the costs before any decisions would be made. But here we are, being asked to make decisions, without knowing the costs.

“Ratepayers are being kept in the dark, and at a time when families are struggling with bills, and businesses can barely keep their doors open, this council should not be signing blank cheques for vanity projects.”

She added: “And then there are the uniforms. Forcing dual language logos onto staff uniforms will create division amongst our workforce, not unity. It risks singling out staff in public facing roles, and putting them in difficult and perhaps dangerous situations. Are we seriously prepared to put staff safety on the line for the sake of a political gesture?

“If a member of staff refuses to wear the uniform, will they be disciplined? Will they be punished for having a different view or opinion? That is the kind of question this policy raises, and it should trouble every single councillor in this chamber.

“Let’s be honest, this policy is going to be pushed through, and it is going to be dressed up as progress. But the reality is that it is costly, it is divisive and it is unnecessary.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Ciaran Beattie said: “As always, when it comes to the Irish language there is always delay, hindrance, challenge, and there is always misinformation.

“To mention uniforms – my three young girls wear uniforms to a school which is completely in Irish. To say it would be controversial to walk through this building or hurtful to anyone, is actually hurtful to me. Because they are not controversial, and they speak the language as their first language.”

He added: “It is a bit difficult to understand the DUP’s position on it. If you look across the water, in Glasgow there is bilingual, if you go to Cardiff and loads of other cities in the UK, they have Gaelic on their uniforms.

“But they don’t like it in Belfast, why? Because it is Irish. And that is the issue. They don’t like Irish – and (for) a lot of people that is racist.”

He turned to the DUP benches and said: “But you are right, it is happening, it is coming through, and you either accept it or you don’t. And listen, you just need to get over it.”

He later said the DUP’s opposition to the use of Irish language had cost ratepayers “probably hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees”.

DUP Alderman Dean McCullough said: “You are not anti-Irish if you do not want to wear a uniform that (has) Irish (on it), or if you do not want to learn Irish.” He asked for “clarification” on the accusation of racism.

Alderman McCullough asked: “Are you saying we’re racist? To which Councillor Beattie replied: “You’re anti-Irish,” without either directing their comments through the Lord Mayor, as is the protocol.

Alderman McCullough repeated: “Are you saying we’re racist?” as Councillor Beattie replied: “You’re anti-Irish,” and with voices raised both continued to speak on top of each other as Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly attempted to intervene.

“We’re not at a football match, boys,” she said, and eventually brought the chamber to order.

SDLP Councillor Séamas de Faoite of the Social Democratic and Labour Party said it was “ironic” that Sinn Féin and the DUP had in Stormont recently agreed on the appointment of two new language commissioners. He said: “But yet we’re happy to have yet another embarrassing bunfight in this chamber about the promotion of the Irish language.” He called the City Hall scenes “unedifying.”

Alliance Party Councillor Jenna Maghie also used the word “unedifying” to describe the exchanges, comparing the debate to one involving her young children.

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