NI Assembly approves Irish/Ulster-Scots translation plans

MLAs have passed a motion in support of plans for simultaneous translation services in Irish and Ulster-Scots in the NI Assembly by 58 votes to 27.

The deal that restored power-sharing last year saw the parties agree to set up the services.

It formed part of a wider package aimed at addressing long-standing commitments on language and culture.

An Ulster Unionist amendment proposing the translation services are reviewed after six months passed by 44-41.

BBC News NI understands that ahead of Tuesday's debate, Democratic Unionist Party leader Edwin Poots lost a bid for the party to abstain on the motion, by 11 to nine votes.

The party backed the Ulster Unionist amendment, but had been whipped to vote against the final motion.

The amended motion, which is binding, directs Stormont's assembly commission to establish the services.

That commission is made up of representatives from the five main parties and oversees operations at Parliament Buildings.

The translation services debate came amid wider tensions at Stormont over the Irish language.

Thousands attended a rally in Belfast in 2017 calling for an Irish language act

Sinn Féin has said it will not agree to a new DUP first minister without movement on such laws.

It has called on Westminster to intervene to pass the legislation, as the DUP has not committed to doing so before the next election.

'Respect both ways'

Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan said it was a "straight choice for unionism" about keeping its commitments.

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"The reason we're facing instability is because we're fed up listening to unionists giving commitments and saying they'll honour those and then reneging on them," he added.

But DUP junior minister Gary Middleton said his party had tried to build consensus on language and translation services.

"If we're trying to do this respectfully I'm up for that, but we need to be serious in ensuring it's respect both ways," he said.

Ulster Unionist deputy leader Robbie Butler said MLAs had obligations to ensure they could "stand over every penny of our spending".

The commitment requires the executive to provide language translation services in Irish and Ulster-Scots

Sinead Bradley of the SDLP said it was "not okay to add conditions or unpick" deals after they had been reached.

While Alliance's Kellie Armstrong said the New Decade New Approach deal was a "compromise" all parties had an ability to feed into, and that it needed to be delivered in full.