Ulster Unionist leader, Robin Swann MLA has rejected proposals that 10 per cent of public sector jobs should be reserved for Irish speakers, as ‘totally unacceptable.’
Robin Swann MLA said:
“The 2015 DCAL proposals for an Irish Language Act (page 12) contained the line ‘provision for affirmative action in favour of Irish speakers in recruitment to the civil service and other public bodies.’
“The March 2017 Conradh na Gaeilge discussion document (page 17) has a section entitled ‘Ensure that Irish speakers are progressing in the public sector. There it clearly states that ‘10% of those who are appointed should have both spoken and written Irish in the future.'
“Let me state very clearly that this proposal is totally unacceptable and is one example of why any reasonable person could not agree to the proposals for an Irish Language Act.
“Sinn Fein need to make clear what figure they had in mind in their 2015 proposals where they supported affirmative action.
“Stormont has just spent many millions on a Voluntary Exit Scheme for civil servants as an outworking of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements. One can only imagine what kind of expensive scheme Sinn Fein have in mind in order to recruit enough Irish speakers to the civil service to suit them. Then no doubt in short order, attention will turn to the Police and other public bodies. And let us never forget, the 2011 Census told us that some 4,045 people (0.2%) use Irish as their main home language.”