The purpose of this Policy is to give a clear indication of the specific steps the Council will promote the Irish language within its own work and to support the growing community of Irish speakers in Belfast.
Policy aim
The aim of this Policy is to set out how the Council will promote the use of Irish language internally and in the wider Council area in accordance with the commitments outlined above and the specific steps it will take to doing this. It will do so in line with the six Guiding Principles for Promoting, Protecting and Enhancing Linguistic Diversity which were agreed by the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in June 2022. These are:
Changing the perspective on languages in our city to increase the profile of different languages along with awareness and understanding of associated cultures, heritage and traditions.
Engaging with language communities to increase equal opportunities and to enhance and protect good relations within the city.
Improving organisational capacity to address staff training needs and improve our language capabilities.
Working in partnerships with others to promote linguistic diversity across the city to move towards our shared vision of inclusive growth, where no-one is left behind.
Identifying and implementing actions in line with agreed priorities to promote, protect and enhance linguistic diversity.
Establishing efficient and effective solutions which are proportionate to need, affordable and measurable.
