03-06-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
DUP storms out of council meeting and withdraws from good relations committee in row over Irish signs and trans issues
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council ratified its language policy with a majority vote on Irish and English gateway signage on Monday evening.
But unionists objected to the new signs for almost 90 communities in the district at the full council meeting which ended with the DUP choosing to step away from the equality and good relations committee until further notice.
It took the decision within 30 minutes of the language policy being approved when the party's motion on biological women was moved to remit of the committee by new deputy chairperson and Sinn Fein councillor Gerladine Kearns.
The DUP'S Jonathan Jackson told elected representatives 'it is really disappointing that this motion is not being heard here tonight in the chamber' as he insisted the Supreme court ruling on the definition of sex 'in our own land' is a 'highly disappointing' matter.
The council meeting was the first of the new term which started with the election of Sinn Fein reps as chairperson, cllr Philip Campbell and and deputy chair, cllr Gerladine Kearns.
The motion had been for the council to ban trans women from having rights to use council owned female toilets.
'And just on that basis and on the basis on the earlier discussion on the Irish language signs we as the DUP group have had to make a decision to withdraw from good relations reference group until further notice," cllr Jackson said.
"And unfortunately tonight when there are other motions being heard above this one we feel the need that we can't take part in tonight's meeting any more and we will withdraw.'
Referring to the decision on Irish signs, Slieve Croob DUP cllr Alan Lewis said he thinks 'it would be a fair guess to say that the council will be met with a fairly hefty repair bill'.
"Because we aren't blind we know that these signs have been damaged and wrecked in the past,' he said.
'But, let me be extremely clear, do I support them being vandalised?
"No, because it sends out the wrong message.
'But I think we are living in cloud cuckoo land if we don't think these signs will be damaged.'
Slieve Gullion UUP rep David Taylor expressed concerns that the 'equality committee has failed…I'm just sorry we couldn't find a way forward'.
Alliance supported the bi-lingual signs with cllr Tierna Howie saying: 'Across the British Isles languages are embraced, why should Newry, Mourne and Down be different?'
It prompted the DUP's Glyn Hanna quipped the party should now 'change its colours from yellow to light green'.
The ratification of plans to install Irish signs comes six years after it was first proposed.
In a joint statement issued after the tense meeting. the DUP working group on the council defended 'the regrettable decision' to withdraw from the gathering 'due to the continued disrespect towards the DUP and those we represent'.
Councillors Callum Bowsie, Glyn Hanna, Jonathan Jackson, Alan Lewis, Henry Reilly accused fellow councillors of 'forcing through Irish signage without the consent of unionists and refusing to allow the DUP to debate important issues in full council meetings'.
'We have expressed our concerns with the council installing Irish leading signage in towns where the vast majority of residents do not identify with or use the Irish language,' they said.
'In 2023, the council consulted District Electoral Area (DEA) Forums and yet despite not all DEAs in the council area voting for bilingual gateway signs, this has been completely ignored.
"For six years we have engaged in this debate around gateway signage in good faith through the council's Equality and Good Relations Reference Group and have made clear we are willing to discuss how old Irish place names can be promoted in a fair and balanced manner so that all traditions are respected, and which reflects the delicate balance of community relations in Northern Ireland. We have stressed that culture and language provisions must be about facilitation rather than imposition.
'However, after 12 meetings on this topic in the EGRRG, once again it is the case of majority rule by Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance to systematically impose Irish signage in every town throughout the district without any regard for the wishes of those communities, who are now expected to assimilate into another's language and culture, which goes against the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.'
The representatives insisted they have tried to find consensus at the reference group's non statutory meetings, but said 'the outcome still results in majority rule'.
"We believe we are wasting our time expressing our concerns via this private forum and we therefore are withdrawing from it until further notice,' they added.
Other motions heard in the chamber included support for employment rights and the need for an all island election when it comes to voting for candidates seeking to become the President of Ireland.
The latter topic upset DUP councillors after their motion on the Supreme Court ruling and its impact on the council's approach to sexed toilets was deemed too 'controversial' for an open meeting.
'While our motion was denied a public debate, moments later a controversial motion from Sinn Fein which has nothing to do with this council regarding Irish presidential elections being extended to Northern Ireland was allowed to be fully debated during the same full council meeting," the DUP working group statement continued.
'This is the disparity shown towards unionists on only one evening and doesn't even scratch the surface of what our party has had to endure in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for many years.
"The inequality towards unionists is a persistent problem and must end.'
