The Council of Europe has called on the British government to develop a comprehensive Irish language policy, including measures to meet the increasing demand for Irish-medium education "as a matter of priority".
The Strasbourg-based Committee of Ministers backed the findings of an 86-page report from a Council of Europe watchdog monitoring the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which came into force in the UK in July 2001.
The Charter commits the British government to safeguard and promote Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster-Scots, Cornish and Manx Gaelic. Today's report, drawn up by a committee of independent experts, recommends that British government:
- develops a comprehensive Irish language policy;
- gives more support for the printed media in Irish and Scottish Gaelic;
- improves services in Welsh in health and social care facilities;
- makes efforts to improve the position of Scots and Ulster Scots.
The report is based on monitoring of the minority language situation in the UK between December 2005 and February last year. It says the main responsibility for the practical implementation of the Charter's goals of recognising and respecting the value of minority languages rests with devolved authorities.
However, central government has the final responsibility to see the Charter is applied. The monitoring exercise had revealed wide differences in the treatment of minority languages around the country, it said.
In the North, where there have been demands for an Irish Language Act similar to the south's Official Languages Act, representatives of Irish speakers have reported problems promoting Irish because of demands for equal treatment for the lesser-used Ulster Scots.
As parity for Ulster Scots is not practically possible, no action has been taken at all in some cases following request for measures "appropriate to the Irish language".
The Democratic Unionist Party has branded the proposal for an Irish language Act for Northern Ireland as iniquitous, divisive and discriminatory and "sponsored by Sinn Féin".