Irish language street signs: Unionists slam Sinn Fein proposal to erect Irish over 600 streets one week after rates hike of 7.99%

Republicans at Belfast City Hall argued that the move would save money and time, however unionists have queried the cost to ratepayers after a hike of 7.99% was announced in the city's rates last week.

Belfast City Council DUP Group Leader George Dorrian said: “Many ratepayers will be asking if this is a good use of Council money at a time when rates are going up and homeowners are struggling to make ends meet.

"Everyone understands English street signage so these are an unnecessary political luxury pushed by Sinn Fein. I would rather 50k was placed into making our streets cleaner and better. I’m sure city centre traders would prefer that too."

But TUV leader Jim Allister said the move would bypass council policy. "Little wonder Belfast City Council is having to hike its rates when it indulges in such wanton squander under an absurd policy where only 15% of residents in any street need agree to Irish Street signs,” he said.

“But, here, it seems even the processes of that policy are being sidestepped to allow regional imposition of signage without assessing applications on a street by street basis, as the policy surely requires.

"Yet, according to reports, not a single councillor objected to this overriding of the policy processes and squandering more money.”

Last month, it was revealed that in seven months since the signage policy was amended to make change easier, over 600 applications have been made for Irish signs – but not one has been processed.

Sinn Féin Councillor Ronan McLaughlin told a full council meeting that putting all 600 applications through the full policy process would cost about £300,00.

He told the chamber: “It would be a cost saving proposal if we were to erect dual language signage all across the Gaeltacht Quarter, with indicative costs of £56,000. A lot of those streets are part of the 600, which are going to have to go through the exact same rigorous process that is going to cost this council more."

The new policy says new signage can be erected with the support of 15% of residents, where previously it required 66.6%.