Public signage should reflect views of wider community not 'vocal minority' says Dungannon UUP spokesperson

Responding to a BBC reported detailing the damage to 209 bilingual signs in Mid Ulster district since 2020, he stressed he was not against the Irish Language.

"I am opposed to it being weaponised and used as a political football," he said.

He said he acknowledged the frustration many local residents feel regarding the increasing presence of dual-language signage in the area.

While unequivocally condemning the criminal damage to these signs, he stressed that for some, the proliferation of such signage represents an unnecessary expense of public funds and fuels a sense of "cultural vanity tribalism."

Mr Irwin emphasized that, in his view, many of these bilingual signs are unwelcome and contribute to divisions within the community, particularly when their installation does not reflect broad local support. This perspective was echoed during a recent Mid Ulster Environment Committee meeting in December, where the matter was raised amid growing concerns over bilingual signage across Northern Ireland.

The UUP spokesperson also referred to the case of the new sign at Cairn View, Mayogall, in County Londonderry, where a survey showed only one respondent in favour of the dual-language sign—technically translating to a 100% majority in favour, despite 9 out of 10 residents not participating.

He questioned whether such a narrow margin of support should justify the expenditure of public resources.