Power Sharing In NI collapses again.

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

What is the relationship to SF voters and Irish speakers?
Have a google - ahhh... now we are getting somewhere.. Is this really about language or politics?

The DUP are alone in resisting the introduction of an Irish Language Act
https://www.irishnews.com/news/2017/10/02/news/irish-language-act-content-and-cost-1150668/

The St Andrews agreement recognised the need for the Act, and agreed the scope, which coincides with Sinn Feins demands.:
https://www.irishnews.com/news/2017/10/02/news/irish-language-act-content-and-cost-1150668/

 

[motorbiking]

What is the benefit you think the people of NI will get from their £9M + 1-2M a year?

Saying the DUP are alone in...

Is like saying only the UK government want to pass this law..

The DUP seem to have more seats and the largest share of vote, but in any case I'm not going to defend them as I have little knowledge of either side. What I would like to know is the benefit to the NI population of having everything in two languages? In wales 20% of the population speak welsh and despite the investment - that language is also in decline.

I'm not someone who is against learning languages - I speak French to a reasonable standard (more than your avg brit), but languages are divisive by definition.

 

[Notch7]

Welsh language act costs £150m per annum.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

What is the benefit you think the people of NI will get from their £9M + 1-2M a year?

That is like saying we should not spend a penny on cultural issues/events/establishments.
As notch has kindly pointed out ( ) the Welsh language costs far more. I would like to know where he gets his figures from though.

Saying the DUP are alone in...
Is like saying only the UK government want to pass this law..

"Oh no it isn't!"
You have compared one party in NI to the whole UK government. Hardly a reasonable comparison.
Now if you had compared the DUP to even the SNP, it would have been reasonable.

The DUP seem to have more seats and the largest share of vote,

"Oh no they don't!"
DUP have one more member in the Assembly than SF. If the Act was put before the Assembly, it would be endorsed easily and handsomely.

What I would like to know is the benefit to the NI population of having everything in two languages? In wales 20% of the population speak welsh and despite the investment - that language is also in decline.

"Oh no it's not!"
There is now 20% more Welsh speakers than when the Welsh Act was implemented in 1993.
"The United Kingdom Census 2011 recorded that 19% of people aged three and over who live in Wales can speak Welsh, a decrease from the 20.8% recorded in 2001. An overall increase in the size of the Welsh population, most of whom are not Welsh speakers, appears to correspond with a fall in the number of Welsh speakers in Wales - from 582,000 in 2001 to 562,000 in 2011. This figure is still a greater number, however, than the 508,000 (18.7%) of people who said that they could speak Welsh in 1991. According to the Welsh Language Use Survey 2013–15, 24% of people aged three and over living in Wales were able to speak Welsh, demonstrating a possible increase in the prevalence of the Welsh language." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_language

..but languages are divisive by definition.

"Oh no they're not!"
Only if that is how you see them and allow them to be divisive. To others it is just an indication of a difference, and to others (like yourself perhaps) a challenge to learn, communicate and interact.To others it is a cultural heritage that deserves to be preserved.

 

[motorbiking]

I still don’t understand the benefit of supporting minority languages at tax payers expense.

It’s not as if there are people in NI or wales who are disadvantaged as a result.

Is there a single person who cannot speak English equally as well?

It seems a vast waste of money which won’t benefit 90+% of the population.

I remember France spending a fortune trying to translate computer programming languages in to French. Set their IT industry back 5-10 years

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

I still don’t understand the benefit of supporting minority languages at tax payers expense.

It is a cultural/historic/heritage issue. Nothing to do with politics for most people. Only DUP have made it a political issue.

You could say the same about Welsh, Cornish, Gaelic, Celtic, Breton, Basque, Catalan, etc.

To go further, you could say the same about all the displays in museums.
In fact why do we spend money on culture at all.

 

[Notch7]

DUP have one more member in the Assembly than SF

more seats then

 

[Notch7]

It is a cultural/historic/heritage issue.

The nation states in the Euro used to have their own currencies. Not any more, perhaps they should have kept them: 'it is a cultural/historic/heritage issue'.

 

[motorbiking]

It is a cultural/historic/heritage issue. Nothing to do with politics for most people. Only DUP have made it a political issue.

You could say the same about Welsh, Cornish, Gaelic, Celtic, Breton, Basque, Catalan, etc.

To go further, you could say the same about all the displays in museums.
In fact why do we spend money on culture at all.

If only <5% of the population can benefit - then yes - not at tax payers expense.

there are more important things to spend taxes on. Nobody is stopping anyone who wants to learn from doing so. Museums and arts should not get funding if nobody uses them

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

more seats then

DUP have one more seat than SF, but they do not have an overall majority.
Motorbiking did not distinguish that DUP have more seats compared to any other party. He said simply that they have the most seats, and the largest share of the vote.
They do not.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

The nation states in the Euro used to have their own currencies. Not any more, perhaps they should have kept them: 'it is a cultural/historic/heritage issue'.

I am sure that there are collectors who retain some of the original currency for their heritage value.
There is a word to describe it in English, Numismatism, which does not apply only to UK currencies, but to any currency.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

If only <5% of the population can benefit - then yes - not at tax payers expense.

there are more important things to spend taxes on. Nobody is stopping anyone who wants to learn from doing so. Museums and arts should not get funding if nobody uses them

You are welcome to your opinion.
I would be quite happy to see cultural issues continue to be supported by tax payers.
In makes for a culturally richer society.
Tax payers money is spent on preserving and conserving many historical and cultural issues and specimens which the public will never get to see.

 

[Notch7]

According to the Welsh Language Use Survey 2013–15, 24% of people aged three and over living in Wales were able to speak Welsh, demonstrating a possible increase

Yes because its compulsory up to 16.

and has a negative impact on pupils education

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...row-minded-people-call-teaching-language.html

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

and has a negative impact on pupils education

According to one person:

a leading private school head has warned.

He has been contradicted by many others:

It sparked criticism from Welsh-speaking politicians and parents who claimed it revealed his ‘embarrassing prejudice’.

 

[Notch7]

DUP have one more seat than SF, but they do not have an overall majority.
Motorbiking did not distinguish that DUP have more seats compared to any other party. He said simply that they have the most seats, and the largest share of the vote.
They do not.

The DUP have 28 seats. Do they have the most seats: YES.

Motorbiking said ' they have the most seats' that is correct.

He said they have the largest share of the vote, which is correct at 28.1%

So they have the greatest number of seats and the largest share of the vote.

Overall majority wasnt mentioned.

Factually correct to anybody that possesses a brain.