Preas Railteas/Press Release:

The following statement was released by Comhairle Chúige Laighean (Leinster Executive) Sinn Féin Poblachtach on the 6th of November 2014:

The comments made by Gregory Campbell of the DUP in Stormont on Monday last have caused much media coverage and debate. Many have said they are shocked and hurt by his disgusting remarks. Although disgusting they may be, contemporary Irish history would tell us they follow a consistent trend.

The crux of the situation lies in the so called “Belfast Agreement” which promised to “take resolute action to promote the language” within the parameters of British Rule through Stormont. Instead, since its inception, we have had a constant barrage of abuse levelled at the language by a rump of Unionist politicians. It has been called a “bog language” and “the language of leprechauns” on different occasions in the Stormont assembly. This has always been prevalent when the St Andrews Agreement “Irish language Act” is debated, and ultimately rejected.

At the beginning of the year a Council of Europe report stated “growth and promotion of the language in Northern Ireland is being blocked by hostile attitudes in Stormont and a lack of support for its use in the courts and in education”. Carál Ní Chuilin of Provisional Sinn Féin claimed at the time “There is a large body of support for an Irish Language Act in the North”. She also promised the implementation of the “Irish Language Act” during the current assembly term but that has not happened.

In situation with post primary education through the medium of Irish in the 6 counties, is nothing short of disgraceful. The byword for the Belfast Agreement has always been Anglicization, and Republican Sinn Féin has always flatly rejected it. It has failed the language and those who speak it in the 6 counties. We urge you to reject this situation and build for a United Ireland through the parameters of an All-Ireland Constituent Assembly.

E. de Bothún
PRO Comhairle Chúige Laighean

For Clarification

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