AQW 50726/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 02/09/2026
Answered On Date: 21/09/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on when the regulations in relation to the Sign Language Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 will be brought to the Assembly.

Answer:

I expect to make the first of two commencement orders for the Sign Language Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 in the coming weeks. That will provide my department with the authority to make the regulations necessary, following the completion of any necessary preparatory steps, including the completion of required consultations. As such, it is not possible at this point to provide a precise date on which regulations will be brought to the Assembly.