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Official Language and Symbol: Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement

Implementations

Official Language and Symbol – 1998

Substantial changes took place in terms of strategies outlining to promote language in the Northern Ireland Act (1998). In terms of the use of Irish language in schools, several measures were adopted. On 21 July 1998, the UK government issued Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 [1998 No. 1759 (N.I. 13)], in which the government devolved power to the Department of Education to support and promote Irish language education and Irish Medium schools. In December, the Northern Ireland government also passed the Education Act. Irish language is voluntarily used in schools and media outlets use the Irish language.

In terms of sensitivity of symbols as specified in the Good Friday Agreement, the flying of the Union flag on public buildings and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) stations had increasingly been opposed by both the unionist and the republican. In 1998, however, the Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan issued a recommendation for an immediate stop of flying the Union flag outside all RUC stations.

Official Language and Symbol – 1999

A Center Community Relations Unit was established to come up with a language use policy that included Irish language, establishment of the North/South Language Implementation Body in December 1999. Also, the Minister for Education in December 1999 decided not to fly a Union flag over the buildings housing the department.

Official Language and Symbol – 2000

After the establishment of the North/South Language Implementation Body in December 1999, the government signed on the charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2000.

Parties hotly debated issue of flying Union flags on public buildings at the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 2000. Sinn Fein had ordered departments under their control not to fly the Union Flag.¹ On 8 November 2000, the government issued the Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland (No. 347) on flags,² which came into effect on 11 November 2000. It specified certain days and occasions the Union flag could be flown. The legislation reduced the flag flying days from 21 to 17.³“Good Friday Agreement – Symbols and Emblems,” BBC News, accessed February 7, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/agreement/culture/symbols2….

“Tense opening for Northern Ireland Assembly”, United Press International, June 5, 2000.
“The Flags Regulation (Northern Ireland),” 2000.

Official Language and Symbol – 2001

Sinn Fein had challenged the Flag order which a High Court judge dismissed on 4 October 2001.¹“Good Friday Agreement-Symbols and Emblems,” BBC News, accessed February 7, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/agreement/culture/symbols2….