Work to include Irish language signage at Belfast's new Grand Central Station has been paused amid a potential legal challenge.
The Unionist Voice Policy Studies, of which unionist activist Jamie Bryson is a director, announced on Tuesday, April 1 that they had "launched legal action against Sinn Féin's Infrastructure Minister [MLA Liz Kimmins] challenging the unlawful decision to aggressively impose Irish language."
According to the PA, Translink, which owns Belfast Grand Central Station, said in a statement on Tuesday: “Design work to include the Irish language on physical signage and on ticket vending machines at Belfast Grand Central Station has now stopped pending potential legal action.
“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."
The potential legal challenge comes after Northern Ireland's Minister for Infrastructure Liz Kimmins announced in the Assembly on March 24 that the Irish language will be available on signage at Belfast Grand Central Station and on ticket machines.
Critical of the announcement, Timothy Gaston, a Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) MLA, responded to Kimmins in the Assembly: "Coming from a minister whose party has once described 'every word spoken in Irish as another bullet in the freedom struggle,' why is the minister abusing her position to fire cultural bullets in a situation situated in a loyalist heartland of Belfast?"
Kimmins responded: "The Irish language is for everyone and it is reflective of the culture right across this island.
"The transport hub is not just for the people of Belfast, it's for all people right across our island."
"Answer questions"
While Gaston criticized the bilingual signage as "cultural bullets," other Unionists have taken issue with the lack of cross-community consultation on the matter, as well as the cost.
In a statement on March 25, Deborah Erskine, a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MLA, said Kimmins, as well as the Chief Executive of Translink, "need to front up and answer questions as to why no equality impact assessment was completed in advance of allocating £145,000 to introduce bilingual signage at Grand Central station."
Erskine, who claimed Sinn Féin has "politicised" the Irish language, added: "The Grand Central Station announcement has been rushed out by a Sinn Féin Minister under pressure from Irish language activists, yet the almost 90% who don’t speak Irish will wonder why the Minister can find £145k to satisfy one section of a minority but can’t find money to fill potholes in our roads which affects every person in Northern Ireland."
The following day, Erskine said that the Infrastructure Committee agreed to look further at the announcement that £145,000 would be spent on Irish language signage within Grand Central Station.
"Significant unease amongst unionist MLAs"
The matter was addressed again in the Assembly on Monday when Gaston said he had lodged a petition in the Business Office last Tuesday to refer Minister Kimmins's "divisive" move to the Executive and subject it to a cross-community vote.
Gaston said 29 other signatures are required for the petition to be successful.
"Minister Kimmins's decision has caused significant unease amongst unionist MLAs," Gaston said, adding that he welcomed Erskine's and interim DUP leader Gavin Robinson's comments on the matter.
He continued: "Some MLAs recognise that the community of Sandy Row had already been treated like dirt when it came to the road closures in that area to facilitate the building of the station.
"However, words are not enough. It is time for unionism to take a united stand for the loyalists and unionists of south Belfast.
"I am not precious about how that is done. Whether the decision is stopped by the petition that I have lodged or by unionist Ministers calling it into the Executive and blocking it, I simply do not care."
"Perfectly legitimate question"
The matter was also addressed by Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly in the Assembly on Monday.
"It is incredibly important that people have the ability to raise concerns about Grand Central station and ask why it is proposed that £120,000 be spent to rip out and replace nearly new signs at a difficult financial time," Little-Pengelly, of the DUP, said.
"That is a perfectly legitimate question. I am here to protect and support our public services and to try to make sure that people live the best life that they can with the quality of services that they deserve."
The Deputy First Minister added that she will be raising the issue at the Executive meeting on Thursday.
"Resolute action"
Meanwhile, Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh, spokesperson for the Irish language activist group An Dream Dearg, told the Irish News on Tuesday that last week's announcement was "very welcome" and "reflective of the ever-growing Irish language community here."
Ó Tiarnaigh said An Dream Dearg views the bilingual signage as "resolute action," which was promised in the Good Friday Agreement.
Ó Tiarnaigh went on to accuse the DUP of "reverting to type."
"They're sounding very much like the DUP of 2017," he said. "Very petty decisions that really attack the Irish language community."
The Good Friday Agreement promised us a new era of equality, to take "resolute action" to promote the Irish language. This is "resolute action" in practice. A progressive step forward that shows we can all share our public spaces in harmony. @irish_news https://t.co/Z0OmtI9qX3
— Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh 🅾️ (@ptierney89) April 1, 2025
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