Northern Ireland Ushers in New Era with First Irish Language Commissioner

History is being made in Northern Ireland today with the inauguration of its first Irish language commissioner.

Pól Deeds, previously the deputy chief executive of Foras na Gaeilge, was appointed by the Stormont Executive following years of political debate surrounding the Irish language.

Deeds will guide approximately 100 public bodies in Northern Ireland on promoting the language. This includes developing new best practice standards and investigating complaints regarding services for Irish speakers.

However, any new standards policies require joint approval from the StormontS First and deputy First Ministers, Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Féin and Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP.

Should they fail to reach an agreement, or if the Stormont Executive is not functioning, the 2022 legislation grants the northern Ireland Secretary of State the authority to intervene.

Alongside Deeds,Lee Reynolds,a former DUP advisor,has been appointed as a Commissioner to promote Ulster Scots and Ulster British identity.

Irish language organizations have welcomed the appointments, celebrating years of campaigning for official recognition and rights.

This recognition arrived with the British government’s Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, legally recognizing the Irish language for the first time. The DUP had previously blocked similar legislation at Stormont.

The legislation also established the positions of the two commissioners.

‘Significant Milestone’

Conradh na Gaeilge hailed the progress as “a significant milestone.”

The institution emphasized that the commissioner can offer advice, support, and guidance to public bodies regarding Irish language use without requiring the mutual consent of the First and deputy First Ministers.

“For well over half a century we have made tremendous progress in building a community”