Glengormley pupil calls for Irish Language Act

The girl, who is a primary 7 student at Glengormley-based Irish-medium school, Gaelscoil Éanna, sent the letter to the DUP leader to voice her ‘unhappiness’ surrounding the issue.

The 11-year-old said: “I am a primary 7 pupil in Gaelscoil Éanna and I am writing this letter to tell you I am unhappy with the disrespect you are showing towards the Irish language.

“My parents and I are from Poland. I speak three languages; Irish, English and Polish, but I feel that what you said about a Polish language act was wrong. I think we should show respect to Irish along with all other languages.”

Last month, Mrs Foster said if there was to be an Irish language act, there should be a Polish language act because more people in Northern Ireland speak Polish than Irish.

The pupil added: “I want an Irish language act. Ten years ago it was promised at the St Andrew’s Agreement that we would get one, but it never came. You think that because you don’t like the Irish language that we don’t need it.

“Irish is a central part of our lives and it always will be. I want to see signs in Irish on roads and public places, to be able to read and fill in forms in Irish and to have the same resources in libraries that children in English speaking schools have.

“When my class grows up we will be doctors, teachers, dentists and much more, we will be important and we will be Irish speakers. We will show respect to everyone around us and I want to see that respect shown to us now, because we are the future.”