Éamon Ó Cuív: Advocates Inclusive Irish Language Bill
Éamon Ó Cuív spoke on 25 May 2022 about forthcoming language legislation, inclusivity for Irish and Ulster Scots, and human-rights concerns in Northern Ireland. He urged an inclusive approach to language rights, called for unobtrusive implementation of the protocol to ease movement of goods, and will prepare a submission on prison and justice issues for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Language legislation and cultural inclusivity
He welcomed the publication of language legislation and said he hoped it would be enacted by the summer recess. He noted a recent march showed broad community support for proper support and rights for Irish speakers, and he welcomed separate provisions for Ulster Scots and Indigenous cultures. He argued inclusivity enriches society rather than threatening identities and framed his view as a habitual Irish speaker and republican advocating inclusive republicanism.
Brexit, the protocol and community engagement
He criticised what he described as a slightly confrontational approach to new issues caused by Brexit and said there should not be any border within the island of Ireland. He suggested many in the DUP privately accept the absence of a land border but find checks in the Irish Sea difficult, and he emphasised the need to differentiate British interests from unionist sensibilities. He argued that neither nationalist nor unionist communities north or south were sufficiently engaged in frontline talks and that direct engagement is essential to secure acceptance of compromise. He urged the UK and the EU to protect Northern Ireland’s dual position in the customs union and single market and to implement the protocol as unobtrusively as possible, making movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain as seamless as possible.
Peace, security and political persuasion
He praised Gordon Wilson as having done more for the peace and security of people in Northern Ireland than security forces, noting the last killing linked to the Troubles was that of Lyra McKee. He warned against complacency, described his long-term efforts to persuade people from the physical-force tradition to pursue aims through the political process, and said such a transition requires people to be treated with fairness and respect. He argued that more draconian security approaches are not the solution.
Human-rights and justice concerns in Northern Ireland
He expressed major concerns about prison conditions for segregated prisoners, strip searching, control of movement, isolation and a lack of education facilities. He highlighted incessant stop-and-search practices affecting families, long remands of up to three years, strict bail of over eight year cases before trials, and what he described as a policy of arrest and release in certain areas. He also raised worries about family and bank accounts being closed, leaving whole families without access to welfare payments, and said he and two comrades will prepare a submission on these matters for the Minister of Foreign Affairs who requested it.
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Hello everyone, thank you and welcome to the Sýnaz 것처럼 in the program. Thank you very much for your support for the teamwork. Thank you very much for your support, Oireann, and thank you very much for your support. I'm glad today that language legislation to be published and I will hope that it will be enacted by the summer recess at the latest. The Diarrag La Fáirag March last weekend showed that there is a large community of people who desire proper support for the Irish language and rights conferred on Irish speakers. I also welcome that there are other separate provisions for Ulster Scots and Indigenous cultures in this bill. I think we have to learn in Ireland that inclusivity is not to be feared and that generosity and inclusivity in our dealings enriches all and does not threaten anybody's identity. I am saying that as a habitual Irish speaker in this country. It doesn't threaten me one bit if somebody else has a different culture to me. I am a republican and I believe that real republicanism in Ireland is inclusive. I want to see a new Ireland where decisions on this island are made in an inclusive way by all of the people of this island, whether their natural background is unionist or nationalist. I feel at times that her approach to resolving the new issues caused by Brexit was dealt with in a slightly confrontational way rather than an inclusive way on this island. I fully agree that there should not be any border within the island of Ireland and from my talks I believe that many in the DUP privately accept this and know this. What was always going to be difficult for them was the fact that there would be checks in the Irish Sea. I think it is important and I think we have to differentiate between British interests which are totally different to the interests of the unionists in the north. I think we have to take into account their sensibilities and try to find a way forward. I think also that the problem was that neither the Irish nationalist community north or south or the unionist community north or south were actually engaged in the front line talks. The actual engagement in talks always is the thing that leads to the acceptance of the final compromise and I think that that is maybe something that we have never fully addressed. It will be, in my view, absolutely vital that the UK and the EU seek, while protecting the dual position of Northern Ireland has been both in the EU and the UK customs union and in the EU single market, to do so in an unobtrusive manner as possible within the term terms of the protocol and to try and make the movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and vice versa as seamless as possible. I have to say that if you ask me who did more for peace and security of the people of Northern Ireland, the British Army, PSNI or Gordon Wilson, I would say Gordon Wilson by any stretch of the imagination, without any guns, without any security apparatus, because he reached the cross in the most difficult point of his life. We have had relative peace for the last number of years. The last killing associated with the troubles being that of Lyra McKee. But I would not let complacency lull us into false security. I have worked for years to persuade people from the physical force tradition that a much better way of realising their aims is through the political process and by persuasion. But I have also fought for their human rights in prison and outside of it. This will only be possible if they believe that they are treated with fairness and respect. Those that believe that a more draconian security approach is the answer to defusing the threat they perceive to be theirs are, I believe, wrong. I have major concerns with a number of issues in the north of Ireland in relation to prison conditions for segregated prisoners, strip searching, control, movement, isolation and lack of education facilities, incessant stop and search being carried out in the families of perceived dissenting Republicans, long remands of up to three years and strict bail of over eight year cases before cases are brought to trial. There also seems to be a policy of arrest and release in certain areas. Family and bank accounts being closed by the authorities just leaving whole families without access to welfare payments. I and two comrades who work with me will be preparing a submission on this for the Minister of Foreign Affairs which he asked me to do. Thank you very much. Thank you. You
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