Statement by TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston:
“I have today written to all unionist Ministers calling on them to take action on the decision to impose Irish language signage at Grand Central Station. A loyalist part of Belfast, which has already been treated abominably by the whole saga around the station, should not suffer the added indignity of Grand Central being branded with Irish language signage. It is now incumbent on Unionists to unitedly show that they will not tolerate this.”
The text of Mr Gaston’s letters to the deputy First Minister, the Communities Minister, the Education Minister and the Health Minister reads as follows:
Dear Minister,
I write in respect of the decision to impose Irish Language signage on Belfast Central Station. This decision has been taken, it appears, without approval from the Executive committee operating on a cross-community basis.
It is beyond any rational dispute that the imposition of this decision, given the ongoing controversy around Irish language signage being imposed without any cross-community consent, particularly in the Belfast area, is significant and controversial within the meaning of section 20 (4) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, read in conjunction with the Ministerial Code made pursuant to section 28A (5) of the 1998 Act.
The consequence is that as a matter of law pursuant to section 28A (10) of the 1998 Act the Infrastructure Minister is deprived of lawful authority to take the decision.
Therefore, I ask that each unionist Executive Minister take steps to ensure the Infrastructure Minister understands clearly that there is no lawful power to continue with the imposition of the relevant decision. Whilst it is not determinative, and even if unionist Ministers somewhat extraordinary shirked their responsibility to stand together on this issue and meekly rolled over to the latest aggressive Irish language demands, nevertheless the views of other Ministers as to whether a matter is significant and controversial is a weighty factor (see paragraph [13] Re Bryson’s application [2022] NIQB 4 and Re Safe Electricity A&T Ltd and Woods’ Application [2021] NIQB 93, at paragraphs [76] and [82]). Therefore, I trust unionist Ministers will take the necessary steps in respect of this matter to require referral to the Executive committee, notwithstanding that TUV has ourselves lodged a petition to require such a referral. This ensures that even if unionist Ministers roll over on this issue, every unionist MLA has the power to nevertheless require the matter to be referred to the Executive.
However, of importance, it is unionist Ministers in the Executive who ultimately have the power to prevent this decision having legal effect.
Yours sincerely,
Timothy Gaston MLA