The British government today faced demands to introduce legislation to promote and protect the Irish language.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams issued the call at the launch of a new pamphlet on language rights published by his party's culture department, roinn an chultúir.
At the launch of the document at Belfast City Hall, Mr Adams said while the language had made great strides in recent years, it's promotion should not be left entirely to the voluntary and community sector.
"Governments have an important role and indeed a duty to support indigenous languages. Indeed the Good Friday Agreement makes clear commitments to Irish," the West Belfast MP said.
"It is past the time when the British government should honour its commitments. The pursuit of comprehensive legislation to protect and promote the Irish language is, therefore, a logical part of Sinn Féin's core work programme.
He said the government had failed to honour a committment made in 2001 when it signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Legislation was now required as a consequence, Mr Adams said.
According to the 2001 Census in Northern Ireland, 167,487 people (10.4 per cent of the population) had "some knowledge of Irish". Of those over the age of three, 75,125 spoke, read, wrote and understood Irish.
Mr Adams noted the Belfast-based Irish language organisation, POBAL had proposed it should become an official language and that a language commissioner should be appointed.
He said: "Councillors have a clear role to play to raise awareness in council and in their communities about it and to ensure that the campaign receives as much support as possible.
"Language rights are human rights."
PA