<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="gmail-story-body__h1" style="border:0px;color:rgb(30,30,30);font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:Helmet,Freesans,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:2rem;line-height:1.125;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Irish Language Act: Laws not threatening says Welsh commissioner</h1><div class="gmail-byline" style="border:0px;color:rgb(64,64,64);font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:Helmet,Freesans,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:inherit;margin:16px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><span class="gmail-byline__name" style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.875rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.28571;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block">By Robbie Meredith</span><span class="gmail-byline__title" style="border:0px;color:rgb(90,90,90);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.875rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.28571;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block">BBC News NI Education Correspondent</span></div><div class="gmail-with-extracted-share-icons" style="border:0px;color:rgb(64,64,64);font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:Helmet,Freesans,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-story-body__mini-info-list-and-share" style="border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-style:initial;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:rgb(219,219,219);border-left-color:initial;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:8px 0px 0px;padding:0px 0px 4px;vertical-align:baseline;min-height:37px;overflow:auto;width:645px;display:table"><div class="gmail-story-body__mini-info-list-and-share-row" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:table-row"><div class="gmail-mini-info-list-wrap" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:table-cell;float:left;min-height:44px"><ul class="gmail-mini-info-list" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:12px 4px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;list-style:none;display:inline-block;float:none"><li class="gmail-mini-info-list__item" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:2px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block"><div class="gmail-date gmail-date--v2 gmail-relative-time" style="border:0px;color:rgb(90,90,90);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.8125rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.23077;padding:0px 0px 0px 28px;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:url("../../../img/news--icons-sprite.png");background-position:0% -4011px;background-repeat:no-repeat">9 hours ago</div></li></ul></div><div class="gmail-share-tools--event-tag" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;float:right;display:table-cell;text-align:right"><div id="gmail-comp-pattern-library-5" class="gmail-distinct-component-group gmail-container-twite" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block"><ul class="gmail-sharetools gmail-sharetools--reveal" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0px;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;list-style:none;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap"><li class="gmail-twite__channel-out gmail-twite__channel-out--desktop gmail-twite__channel-out--facebook gmai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px;height:1px;width:1px">Image caption</span><span class="gmail-media-caption__text" style="border:0px;color:rgb(236,236,236);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.8125rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.23077;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block">Meri Huws became the first Welsh Language Commissioner in October 2011</span><p class="gmail-story-body__introduction" style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:28px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Language laws are not "threatening" but strengthen communities, according to the Welsh language commissioner.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:23px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Meri Huws was speaking in Belfast at the launch of a report into how local councils treat the Irish language in Northern Ireland.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Appointed in 2012, Ms Huws was the first language commissioner in Wales.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"Nobody will be disempowered by this, everybody over time will become stronger and empowered," she told BBC News NI.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">The commissioner promotes the Welsh language, protects the rights of people to use it and polices the standards required of public sector bodies in their use of Welsh.</p><ul class="gmail-story-body__unordered-list" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:none"><li class="gmail-story-body__list-item" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px 20px;padding:0px 0px 0px 4px;vertical-align:baseline;list-style:square outside"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38601181" class="gmail-story-body__link" style="border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-style:initial;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:rgb(220,220,220);border-left-color:initial;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;text-decoration-line:none">Northern Ireland Assembly divided by Irish language</a></li></ul><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Welsh has official status alongside English in Wales, and the government there has set a target of having a million Welsh speakers by 2050.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">The population of Wales is currently around three million.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">However, the creation of an Irish language act in Northern Ireland has been contentious.</p><span class="gmail-image-and-copyright-container" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block"><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/0176/production/_104547300_irishlanguageprotest.jpg" class="gmail-responsive-image__img gmail-js-image-replace" alt="Irish language protest" width="976" height="549" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(189, 189, 189); font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; user-select: none; width: 616.203px; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in 0s; display: block;"></span><span class="gmail-off-screen" style="color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;border:0px;padding:0px;height:1px;width:1px">Image caption</span><span class="gmail-media-caption__text" style="border:0px;color:rgb(236,236,236);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.8125rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.23077;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block">There have been calls for an Irish language act in Northern Ireland</span><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">DUP leader <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-43048025" class="gmail-story-body__link" style="border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-style:initial;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:rgb(220,220,220);border-left-color:initial;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;text-decoration-line:none">Arlene Foster has said there will be no standalone act</a> and UUP leader Robin Swann has also previously said there is no need for an Irish language act.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">However, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-41095799" class="gmail-story-body__link" style="border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-style:initial;border-top-color:initial;border-right-color:initial;border-bottom-color:rgb(220,220,220);border-left-color:initial;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;text-decoration-line:none">other parties have supported calls for one.</a></p><div class="gmail-teads-inread" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:24px auto;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;height:354px;box-sizing:content-box;max-width:592px"><div style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"><div class="gmail-teads-ui-components-adchoices" style="border:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:arial;font-size:11px;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:15px;margin:0px;padding:1px;vertical-align:baseline;width:15px;height:15px;background-position:100% 50%;background-size:15px 15px;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-color:initial"></div><div class="gmail-teads-ui-components-label" style="border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;text-transform:uppercase;background-color:transparent;background-image:none;color:rgb(80,80,80);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-weight:bold;font-stretch:normal;font-size:12px;line-height:12px;font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;letter-spacing:0px;text-align:center;height:21px">ADVERTISEMENT</div><div class="gmail-teads-player" id="gmail-teads0" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline"></div></div></div><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Ms Huws said the creation and implementation of language legislation was a "journey".</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"Bilingualism is a norm across the world and it's not threatening," she said.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"We've been on that journey for many, many decades in Wales and it'll continue."</p><span class="gmail-image-and-copyright-container" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block"><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/F8FB/production/_101893736_welshlanguage.jpg" class="gmail-responsive-image__img gmail-js-image-replace" alt="picture of a road with a welsh slow down sign" width="976" height="549" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(189, 189, 189); font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; user-select: none; width: 616.203px; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in 0s; display: block;"><span class="gmail-off-screen" style="color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;border:0px;padding:0px;height:1px;width:1px">Image copyright</span><span class="gmail-story-image-copyright" style="border:0px;color:rgb(236,236,236);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.75rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.33333;margin:0px;padding:3px 8px 1px;vertical-align:baseline;text-transform:uppercase;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.6)">GETTY IMAGES</span></span><span class="gmail-off-screen" style="color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;border:0px;padding:0px;height:1px;width:1px">Image caption</span><span class="gmail-media-caption__text" style="border:0px;color:rgb(236,236,236);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.8125rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.23077;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block">Welsh language legislation in Wales means visible bilingualism</span><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"By now we've had four or five pieces of legislation over the 20th Century and this century in Wales."</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"Over time - and it is step by step - attitudes have changed and it has strengthened the communities in Wales."</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Ms Huws said the Welsh language was a part of everyday life in Wales, but not everyone had originally welcomed legislation to protect and promote it there.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"People have been quite concerned that this will disable them, it won't allow them to be employed etc," she said.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"Rather than saying that's rubbish, it's actually about engaging and talking to people and trying to explain why this is a norm."</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">The commissioner was speaking at the launch of research from Conradh na Gaeilge and the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) on how Northern Ireland's 11 local councils are complying with their statutory obligations in respect of the Irish language.</p><span class="gmail-image-and-copyright-container" style="border:0px;color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block"><img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/84DE/production/_105341043_welsh.jpg" class="gmail-responsive-image__img gmail-js-image-replace" alt="Street signs in Welsh and English" width="976" height="549" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(189, 189, 189); font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; user-select: none; width: 616.203px; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in 0s; display: block;"><span class="gmail-off-screen" style="color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;border:0px;padding:0px;height:1px;width:1px">Image copyright</span><span class="gmail-story-image-copyright" style="border:0px;color:rgb(236,236,236);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.75rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:0.25px;line-height:1.33333;margin:0px;padding:3px 8px 1px;vertical-align:baseline;text-transform:uppercase;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.6)">GETTY IMAGES</span></span><span class="gmail-off-screen" style="color:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;vertical-align:baseline;overflow:hidden;border:0px;padding:0px;height:1px;width:1px">Image caption</span><span class="gmail-media-caption__text" style="border:0px;color:rgb(236,236,236);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:0.8125rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.23077;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;display:block">The latest figures show a rise in people able to speak Welsh</span><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">A number of agreements including the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML) - which the UK government ratified in 2001 - outline statutory measures for the protection and promotion of languages like Irish and Ulster-Scots.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Local councils have authority over things like bilingual street signs, support for Irish language cultural activities and translation services.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">However, the research suggests that council provision of those services is uneven.</p><h2 class="gmail-story-body__crosshead" style="border:0px;color:rgb(30,30,30);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.16667;margin:32px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">'Significant gaps'</h2><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">While some of the 11 councils were fulfilling some of their obligations under the ECRML, the report said that some had no Irish language policy and had not taken steps to promote tolerance and understanding of the language.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Some did not give any information to the researchers on what services they made available through the Irish language.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, from Conradh na Gaeilge, said there were significant gaps in provision across several councils.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"It is unfair in our view that if you're living in Belfast you receive some services through Irish - you have an Irish language officer and a language diversity policy - but if you live in Glengormley you have none of those things," he said.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"When you're travelling across the council areas here you will see maybe a proliferation of bilingual signage in some council areas and you go across to the next and there is next to none.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"What we would like is a move towards a uniform approach," he added.</p><h2 class="gmail-story-body__crosshead" style="border:0px;color:rgb(30,30,30);font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.16667;margin:32px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">'Game-changer'</h2><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"We would hope that councils will look at this as an aid or a guide for them to use to start to make progress in terms of meeting the obligations that are already on them with regard to the language."</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Mr Mac Giolla Bhéin also said that the debate around an Irish language act still needed a "resolution".</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"An Irish language act would be a game-changer," he said.</p><p style="border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:1rem;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;line-height:1.375;margin:18px 0px 0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">"If the parties were to come back tomorrow again and sit round a table to try to flesh out a deal, number one or maybe number two on the agenda behind Brexit would be the Irish language act, so it's still very much there."</p></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>