Northern Ireland:

[Harold Schiffman]

Anger at language proposals



Date: 14 April 2009

CULTURE Minister Gregory Campbell has warned Derry City Council that
proposals giving Irish greater priority than Ulster-Scots in civic
festivals will outrage and further alienate unionists. If adopted, the
new proposals would mean that a reason must be given if an element to
promote the Irish language is not included in civic festivals and
events. That would not be the case for Ulster-Scots. New Ulster-Scots
and Irish Language policies will be considered tomorrow by the
council's Planning and Resources Committee and will have a number of
wide-ranging implications.

However, Irish appears to enjoy greater priority in the proposals -
and Mr Campbell has warned that adopting them would be a serious
mistake.
Under the proposals, the council would promote the Irish language as a
component part of civic festivals, events and celebrations and any
decision not to include Irish language promotion "must be justified".
In contrast, the council would "encourage" Ulster-Scots to be given
consideration as a component part of civic festivals, events and
celebrations. The proposed Irish Language Policy also states that
"Council will translate and publish at least four publications and
four e-zines in English and Irish each financial year and produce
twelve press releases in Irish each year."

Ulster Scots will not be given the same privilege under the new
proposals. And whilst grant aid applications will be accepted in
Irish, the Council will merely promote opportunities for the use of
Ulster-Scots by encouraging grant-aid applications for Ulster-Scots
initiatives. Mr Campbell, who intends to be at tomorrow's meeting,
said it would be "intolerable" if the proposals were adopted. He said:
"Obviously the meeting is on Thursday and a decision has yet to be
taken on the matter.  "If this is accepted it will be yet another
example - and not just in Londonderry but throughout Northern Ireland
- of Ulster-Scots traditionally not receiving the same amount of
funding as Irish and this is something that needs to be addressed."
He added that, as far as festivals and publications are concerned the
council appeared to have promoted Irish over Ulster-Scots over the
past year.
Mr Campbell said: "For instance if you take the Council's Burns' Night
celebrations the Irish language was brought in as a component part of
those despite Burns' Night traditionally being an event that would be
regarded as part of the Ulster-Scots tradition. But when it came to
the St Patrick's Day parade, Ulster-Scots was not treated in the same
way. Aside from what has happened in Londonderry over the last six
months, if the Council proceeds and continues to promote the Irish
language over and above Ulster-Scots then it will simply be repeating
the mistakes of the past thirty years and further adding to the
isolation of the Protestant population of the city."

Local Ulster Scots poet Wilson Burgess said the adoption of an
articulated policy for Irish against a stream-lined version for
Ulster-Scots would amount to second class status for speakers.
Mr Burgess also said it would be inappropriate - as proposed - to have
an Irish Language Officer (ILO) responsible for the implementation of
an Ulster-Scots policy.
"If we are to have parity of esteem why can the Council not lobby for
an Ulster Scots officer? It would be much better if we had an
Ulster-Scots speaker promoting the language," he said.
Apart from on the issue of festivals, publications and grant-aid
applications both languages will be treated equally under the
proposals. Employees and members of the public will be free to use
their name and address in Ulster-Scots and Irish. They will also be
free to speak the languages in all Council buildings.
The public can request all Council services, information and
correspondence in both languages. Elsewhere the Council logo will be
reproduced to include English, Irish and Ulster-Scots.
Accordingly, all logos will be accompanied by the following text:
Derry City Council, Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire, Derry Citie Cooncil
(Confirmation on translation of name pending from Ulster-Scots
Language Society).
The new policies have been developed as a result of legislative
requirements arising from the Belfast Agreement, the European Charter
for Regional or Minority Languages and the European Convention on
Human Rights.
Local Ulster Scots poet Wilson Burgess said the adoption of an
articulated policy for Irish against a stream-lined version for
Ulster-Scots would amount to second class status for speakers.
Mr Burgess also said it would be inappropriate - as proposed - to have
an Irish Language Officer (ILO) responsible for the implementation of
an Ulster-Scots policy.
"If we are to have parity of esteem why can the Council not lobby for
an Ulster Scots officer? It would be much better if we had an
Ulster-Scots speaker promoting the language," he said.
Apart from on the issue of festivals, publications and grant-aid
applications both languages will be treated equally under the
proposals. Employees and members of the public will be free to use
their name and address in Ulster-Scots and Irish. They will also be
free to speak the languages in all Council buildings.
The public can request all Council services, information and
correspondence in both languages. Elsewhere the Council logo will be
reproduced to include English, Irish and Ulster-Scots.
Accordingly, all logos will be accompanied by the following text:
Derry City Council, Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire, Derry Citie Cooncil
(Confirmation on translation of name pending from Ulster-Scots
Language Society).
The new policies have been developed as a result of legislative
requirements arising from the Belfast Agreement, the European Charter
for Regional or Minority Languages and the European Convention on
Human Rights.

http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/Anger-at-language-proposals.5168746.jp

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