AQW 17975/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 11/11/2024
Answered On Date: 22/11/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister when they will engage with the Minister for Communities on how his Department's work on language, culture and heritage will dovetail with the appointment of the relevant commissioners under the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022.

Answer:

TEO is taking forward the necessary arrangements to implement the provisions of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 (the Act) for which it is responsible, namely the establishment of the new bodies namely:

The Office of Identity and Cultural Expression;

The Irish Language Commissioner; and

The Commissioner for the Ulster Scots and the Ulster British tradition.

The Department for Communities (DfC) remains policy lead for language policy including the development of the Ulster Scots, Language, Heritage and Culture strategy and the Irish Language strategy.

A senior official from TEO has been in regular attendance at the DfC led cross departmental working group supporting the development of these Strategies.