A Belfast-based Irish-language organisation, the ULTACH Trust, has criticised the British government for failing to honour its obligations to the language as set out in the Belfast Agreement.
At present, a Communications Bill is before the British parliament which will determine the future of broadcasting in Celtic languages in Britain and Northern Ireland. While mention is made of Scottish Gaelic and Welsh television services in the Bill, none is made of Irish in the North.
The director of the ULTACH Trust, Mr Aodán Mac Poilín, said it "appeared that London does not wish to include the Irish language in the Communications Bill".
This omission contradicted government undertakings in the Belfast Agreement to "encourage and provide financial support for Irish film and television production in Northern Ireland". Mr Mac Poilín said he was disappointed that this opportunity had been missed. "The White Paper which preceded the Draft Bill stressed the importance of regionalism and cultural diversity, and made special reference to the cultural value of Welsh and Scottish Gaelic.
"It showed no such enthusiasm for the cultural value of Irish, noting only that Irish-language broadcasting in Northern Ireland is underdeveloped, but at least promised to give effect to the Agreement commitments. Inexplicably, the Draft Bill makes no mention of Irish-language broadcasting," he said.
Under the proposed legislation, both Scottish Gaelic and Welsh broadcasting services stood to be considerably enhanced with increased funding and greater powers.
Mr Mac Poilín believed that Welsh-language broadcasting would receive in excess of its current £80 million and that it was more than likely that Scottish Gaelic would increase from its present budget of £8.5 million.
In this context, he said, the £3.5 million being sought by the Irish-language lobby was "modest".
He urged the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin to take an interest in the issue before the Bill was finally presented to the British parliament in December 2002. "Westminster would have to listen," he said.