Following the announcement from an Irish Language group that it intends to bring to court the Northern Ireland Executive over its failure to deliver an Irish language strategy, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Sean Lynch, has stressed that it must be delivered.

Conradh na Gaeilge (CnaG) has sent an official pre-court action letter to the Executive “over its ongoing delay in introducing a strategy for the Irish language”.

In 2017, a judicial review found the Executive had failed to adopt a strategy for the language, and this new action is a follow-up to ensure the implementation of the ruling, according to CnaG.

Sinn Féin MLA Sean Lynch: “A commitment to an Irish language strategy was made in the New Decade, New Approach Agreement.

“That strategy now needs to be delivered.

“Deirdre Hargey has raised this repeatedly at the Executive and reiterated that there is a responsibility to have the legislation in place.

“Irish language speakers should not have to go to court to secure their rights.

“The strategy, together with Acht na Gaeilge, needs to be delivered as soon as possible.”

CnaG said a commitment in the New Decade, New Approach framework, which paved the way for the return of MLAs to Stormont in January, 2020, around the Irish language, would see a strategy delivered within six months.

However, the group said: “More than 14 months have now elapsed and no progress has been made on the implementation of the strategy, nor has any timescale been published, which was specifically mentioned in the High Court ruling in 2017.

“In the meantime, a further set of strategies has been developed and agreed by the Executive, which is due to be completed before the end of this year.

“There is no mention of any such progress in relation to the Irish language strategy.”

The court action also comes in the wake of claims that the DUP would refuse to implement an Irish Language Act while the NI Protocol remained in place.