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On 14 March 2018, Dr Niall Comer launched a research report on Local Councils, Obligations and the Irish Language: A Framework for Compliance/Comhairlí Áitiúla, Dualgais agus an Ghaeilge: Creatlach Comhlíonta. The event was hosted by Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich.

Since 2016, Ulster University and Conradh na Gaeilge have been partners on the research project to oversee the use of Irish language by the local councils in Northern Ireland. This work was led by Dr Niall Comer in particular, who in collaboration with Committee for the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and Conradh na Gaeilge documented how commitments made by the United Kingdom government in relation to the Irish language have been implemented by local government in the north.

As a starting point, the report employed a framework developed by CAJ derived from such international obligations and their authoritative interpretation which setting out the actions that can be reasonably expected of local councils in light of their specific remits and roles. The report then focuses on the results of a survey conducted by Conradh na Gaeilge and Ulster University to measure compliance with the framework by local government in the north.

Partners

  • Conradh na Gaeilge, founded in 1893, is an Irish language non-governmental organisation with extensive links to the community and a core interest in the protection and the promotion of the Irish language.
  • CAJ, founded in 1981, is a non-governmental organisation promoting and monitoring compliance with international human rights standards.

This report utilises the Irish language and minority language policy expertise of Conradh na Gaeilge and Ulster University and the human rights law expertise of the CAJ to assess the compliance of local government with international obligations relating to the language.