£20m pledged for Irish language
Gordon Brown promised £20 million for development of the Irish language during the Hillsborough Castle talks, Gerry Adams has revealed.
Most of the money will go to the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, which provides over 75 hours of television for the BBC and others.
Culture Minister Nelson McCausland welcomed the investment and said another £5 million would also be made available to promote Ulster Scots.
A draft strategy to protect and enhance both languages should go to the ministerial executive by the end of March.
Mr Adams said: "Of course, this is not a matter of coercing or forcing unionism to embrace Irish language rights.
"Gaeilgeoiri (Irish speakers) do have a big job to win support for these matters and to persuade others that this issue needs to be depoliticised and that the gift of an indigenous language is a national treasure and the heritage of all who live on this island, no matter about political or other allegiances."
He said there was also an additional £8m for capital projects in the growing Gaeltacht Quarter in west Belfast.
The deal, which Mr Adams said was negotiated with the Prime Minister and would not come out of the Executive's budget, will secure its future until 2015, he said.
Mr McCausland dismissed Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister's criticism of the deal, saying: "The DUP is able to announce good news for unionists, good news for Ulster and all Jim Allister can do is issue press statements attacking those who are really delivering for unionism."
Mr Allister said the extra £20 million for the Irish language was part of a sop to Sinn Fein.
Press Association
