22/02/2018

DUP Were 'Not Contemplating An Irish Language Act'

The DUP were not contemplating bringing in an Irish Language Act.

Leader of the party Arlene Foster made the comment after a document was leaked online, which claimed to represent a draft agreement between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

Mrs Foster said: "We were not contemplating bringing in an Irish Language Act and I could not be clearer in relation to that."

The two parties met with Prime Minister Theresa May at Westminster to discuss how Northern Ireland could move forward and if power-sharing could be restored.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald accused the UK government of having "no plan".

She said: "We made it clear to Theresa May that the collapse of the talks by the DUP cannot be an excuse for the continued denial rights to citizens in the north or the refusal to implement previous agreements.

"We updated the British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on the draft agreement we had reached with the DUP, and the need to secure the rights of Irish Speakers, the right to marriage equality and the right of families to coroners' inquests, rights enjoyed by citizens everywhere else on these islands.

"While the talks process has been collapsed, standing still is not an option for the British government in particular. Citizens have rights, and agreements made, must be agreements implemented.

"The two governments must now act."

(CD/LM)

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