https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy0lpzxjpro
Work to introduce new Irish language signage at Grand Central Station in Belfast has been paused due to legal action, Translink has said.
It comes after Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson said the decision by Sinn Féin Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to approve £150,000 for the signs was "bad process".
His party plans to raise the issue at Thursday's executive meeting of ministers.
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson said he has lodged legal papers to initiate a judicial review against the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) over the decision, stating it was taken "without executive approval".
Mr Bryson said he initiated legal proceedings last week in respect of the "significant, controversial and divisive" decision to "impose" Irish language signage at the station.
He said on Tuesday, the DfI was informed an urgent application was going to be made to the High Court to seek an injunction against work starting on the signs.
Mr Bryson said that in response, Translink's earlier statement was withdrawn and "our legal action has halted the commencement of the work".
A DfI spokesperson said: "Given the potential legal proceedings, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."
A blue sign which reads 'Welcome to Belfast Grand Central Station'Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
The dual language signage was due to be installed at the transport hub in south Belfast which opened last year
Translink has confirmed that design work on physical signage and on ticket vending machines has now also stopped.
It added: "The options to include Irish language on ticket vending machines would need to be further explored with the supplier.
"The options could include adding this to the current offering or making a substitute."
'Not a crisis'
Earlier, the DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the approval of Irish language signage at the station was not "a crisis" for the Stormont executive, adding that the minister "decided to squander" the money "in the absence of political discussion".
Robinson also said there were plans to amend the ticketing system to incorporate an Irish language option.
A man with white hair and black square spectacles is speaking on a stage in front of a pink screen. He is wearing a blue suit, pale blue tie and white shirtImage source, PA Media
Image caption,
The DUP leader Gavin Robinson argued that the decision to introduce Irish language signage "was made outside the legal parameters in which the executive should operate".
He said that would "require them to remove the foreign language options that are already inbuilt for tourists coming to Northern Ireland who don't have English as their first language", adding that was "a nonsense".
What is the row over Irish language signs at Grand Central Station?
The infrastructure minister's decision to introduce bilingual displays, including for passenger information and on ticket vending machines, came after criticism from Irish language campaigners when then new public transport hub opened in September.
Kimmins said she was "committed to the visibility and promotion of Irish language" and that it was important that Grand Central Station was "reflective of all citizens".
However, on Monday, DUP Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said she would raise the issue at Thursday's executive meeting.
She said her party made "no apology" for asking questions about spending of public funds and that it was "unclear how this decision has been made".
Her party leader told BBC's Nolan Show that where "there are issues that are significant, cross-cutting or controversial, they should be brought to the executive for discussion".
"That is how we should be doing business."
The DUP leader confirmed that his party's ministers had written to Kimmins to ask whether she engaged in consultations including with Translink, before taking the decision.
He argued the decision "was made outside the legal parameters in which the executive should operate".
However, he said that "ultimately it will be for the courts" to decide on this.
What did Translink say earlier?
On Tuesday morning, Translink said that design work on additional use of Irish on physical signage and on ticket vending machines at Belfast Grand Central Station would "now begin following the announcement by the Department for Infrastructure".
"This is an extension of the multilingual welcome signage which is already in place at the station," a spokesperson added.
Speaking on Monday, Sinn Féin assembly member Declan Kearney emphasised that "the Irish language is now thriving in communities across the island", despite "a history of persecution and discrimination".
"That is reflected in the official recognition which it now enjoys both in the south and north of Ireland," he said.
"Sinn Féin fully supports the rights of Gaeilgeoirí (Irish speakers) as we continue to build a society underpinned by inclusion, rights and respect for all."
Last September, ahead of the opening of Grand Central Station, Irish language group An Dream Dearg criticised the decision not to use the Irish language on the station's main signage.
An Dream Dearg claimed the lack of Irish signage was against the wishes of the infrastructure minister, John O'Dowd of Sinn Féin, and Belfast City Council.
At the time, the Department for Infrastructure said O'Dowd was committed to the "visibility and promotion of Irish language across public services and in our society".
by UnnaturalStride
45 comments
Bigoted twat.
Can’t wait to see the signs go up, Irish is for all.
Unionists trying their best to make the North work for all it seems.
Imagine spending your days being this hung up on something so innocuous as basic inclusion of the culture of others who share the same country as you and always have.
He’s just fucked off because there’s no W in the Irish alphabet which means he’ll never be able to speak it
The papers lodged in Jamies toilet probably have more value than whatever trash he has written on these ones.
Hateful little shit
Divisive?
Yon ballbags whole raison d’etre is division. Amadan
Haven’t heard that twat mentioned in ages
Another Jamie legal action to be thrown out lol. Hopefully after this one fails he retires or at least stop giving legal help.
Has he ever won a case or anything in life?
Trying to discourage the Irish language in Ireland?
Does he get legal aid or how does he fund all these legal challenges?
Regards,
Legal Team
Dickhead. Bitterness will kill him just like his mucker Willie
This will cost us, the public, even more than the signs ever would
What legal qualifications does this bin dwelling twat have?
Well, if Jamie’s on the case then the Irish signage is definitely going to happen.
Yet I bet you when Jamie goes for his week away in the sun in Magaluf, he reads the English language signs in Palma airport
I made a point on this yesterday that this is a pet project, and pissing money up the Lagan just for a few signs, particularly when there are pressures on all department budgets. HOWEVER, if these disgruntled people are so concerned – maybe we should look at funding elsewhere..say around the 12th etc, and cut that back as well.
It also calls into question the ineptitude of civil servants / project team for not thinking of this at the outset. It is a shared island, and ROI is a large part of our tourism so having such a glaring oversight is a bit ‘simple’ and actually, a bit disrespectful.
The manner for which this is being raised is polarising, but if this was a normal province, city or country – this would be a professionalism issue instead.
Well done Jamie…..clap…….fucking…..clap……🙄
I love that these people have been freaking out about the Irish language since the 14th century.
When or if it gets to the stage where he has to stand a tap off a blue bin outside of central station, he will do it.
Cad fear beag gránna!
There should be a limit to how many legal aid cases you can raise
Is he a litigant in person or the applicant via legal aid? These stories are always so poorly reported.
Brysons should stick to rubbish and recycling. Wee jamie makes a good binlid
Ach a Séamy ɓeag, an bhfuil tú ceart go leor? An gá duit a luí síos?
I thought they wanted NI to be like the other countries in the UK? Other stations have gaelic and welsh on their signs.
Binboy thinks he is a lawyer again and what about his made up language if Ulster Scots .. oh it’s a year now him and his friend who he has gone silent on who may have feed him top secret Info from a ..blah why so close ..his friend and wife in court apparently .. maybe but bin boy dropped like a turd a bit like himself ie a turd ..if ya know why cryptic ya know
Homeless , health services , infrastructure , but the Binboy wants to complain about language signs that would be great for tourism and this economy ..go Binboy ..you stand on a bin for a reason
Dá mbeadh ort aistritheoir a úsáid chun é seo a léamh, tá comharthaí Gaeilge i stáisiún traenach chomh húsáideach duit agus atá tits ar bhean rialta.
It’s absurd that these bigots act like the vaguest allusions to the existence of Irish are attacks on their culture. Every Irish identifying person is already supporting British culture every day because they speak English every day of their lives and it’s too much for these bigots apparently to just have a few Irish words written on some signs. All of this shit is just xenophobic hate speech that shouldn’t be tolerated at all in a country that has such a long history of one culture systematically eroding the other.
Fuck sake I’d just managed to forget this rat exists! Honestly why are some Unionists so scared of the Irish language? If they’d take a wee trip down memory lane then they’d know that the Presbyterians helped to keep the language alive! But once again the Dystopian Unionist Party are using their platform to be hateful. Now does it need to cost 150k to do? Not sure it’s the best use of funds right now but if Scotland and Wales can have dual language signs then here should be the same.
waste of spuds that guy
I was wondering when Unionism would be pressured to put him back into the spotlight
Blinkered once again. The statistics show that Unionism needs the middle ground undecideds for NI to survive. This does nothing to achieve that.
For someone who wants to protect the union that’s a bit stupid isn’t it
He really is tiresome 🙄 It’s like that episode of The Simpsons where Homer becomes a boxer. I’m sure the Judges love seeing his name pop up
Little-Pengelly tried to stop a bus stop being named “Short Strand”, so it’s not just Irish language signage she has issues with.
Rialtas na hÉireann stumped up £25,000,000 of Grand Central’s construction costs, so that contribution should be reflected in the decor.
Buachaill Bruscair
He is the definition of a vexatious litigant
He really is the turd that won’t flush isn’t he.
Get back in the blue bin ya busted balloon.
What a fragile ego. Poor bastard.
I haven’t checked all of the comments but surely the question here is why didn’t the original signs just have Irish and English rather than spending another 150k on new signs…? What have I missed…
Comments are closed.