“It is hard not to feel a certain sense of pity for Sinn Fein over this issue..”

Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, MP, MLA, has reprised his role as spokesman for the UK government by announcing a further four year funding of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund ahead of any official statement. Just as he did in 2008. It’s still a reserved matter. ‘The Blog’ had the ‘scoop’ this time. The level of funding, £3million per year, is the same as the previous announcement in 2008 – which means it’s a decrease in real terms – and lower than the initially announced funding of £12million over three years. Apparently, there is also £8million for unspecified capital projects in west Belfast. Which is nice for the International Representative of that region. ANYhoo… This time the “fig-leave” to cover the absence of an Irish Language Act is accompanied by £5million [over the same 4 years? – Ed] for a new Ulster-Scots Language Broadcast Fund – with Northern Ireland Culture Minister, Nelson McCausland, promising “further announcements in the coming weeks about the fund”. Not that you’ll find those additional details in some of the media coverage…Note: It’s likely than any comments made here will be lost in the move to the new host.

Pete Baker