Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Whatever the truth of Sinn Féin’s claim that there was a deal with the DUP I trust that all Unionists will unite in opposition to what Mary Lou McDonald has put out in the public domain.
“Republicans claim that the paper would have seen an Irish Language Act which would have included:
Irish as an official language in Northern Ireland, an Irish Language Commissioner (enforcer) and Irish in our courts.
“If Irish were to gain official status it would mean not just Irish used equally with English on all official occasions and in all official documents – including all legislation, that the Irish speakers would have the right to interact with the public sector in the language. That would obviously mean that the civil service and public bodies would have to be in a position to provide services in Irish, giving Irish speakers an advantage In applying for employment.
“An Irish Language Commissioner, as in Wales, would be an aggressive enforcer committed to ever tightening the noose in favour of the Irish language becoming all pervasive.
“Whatever the differences between the various strands of Unionism I trust we are all now on the same page on this issue and all Unionists will unite in clearly saying that such proposals are totally unacceptable.
“If the Sinn Fein claim that the DUP had agreed to an arrangement whereby we could have a Sinn Fein Justice minister in 2022, then, another longstanding DUP pledge was in the throes of being shredded.”