The prospects for talks aimed at restoring Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government were described as “incredibly bleak” after Sinn Féin claimed the Democratic Unionists have not moved on its demands for an Irish Language Act.

As Thursday’s deadline looms, the establishment of such an act remains one of the republican party’s core demands in the negotiations and, if agreed on by unionists, would put Irish on an equal par with English in the region.

Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday evening, Sinn Féin’s national chairman Declan Kearney accused the DUP of being “in default” over previous commitments to bring in an Irish Language Act.

Kearney stressed that issues such as the Irish language were “absolutely pivotal” to protecting the rights of citizens. He said that only a “standalone” Irish Language Act that excludes other languages spoken in Northern Ireland from this legislation was acceptable.

Shortly after Kearney spoke, the leader of the cross-community Alliance party, Naomi Long, described the prospects for a deal being secured before the 29 June deadline for devolution to return as “incredibly bleak.”

It did not appear that the DUP’s deal with the Conservatives to back their minority government in Westminster had been a key factor in the apparent worsening of relations between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists.

Earlier, it had seemed that Sinn Féin was interested in taking local control of the more than £1bn injected into the Northern Ireland economy because of the Downing Street arrangement.

Referring to the windfall, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said that the “only fair way to get whatever resources come to this place, the only forum or the only decision-making body that can do it in a fair way is the executive”.

Although the DUP had not commented by early Tuesday evening, the party’s former leader, Peter Robinson, took to Facebook to express incredulity over how the language issue is central to preventing power-sharing being restored.



Robinson, still a key backroom strategist for the DUP, said it would be “pitiful and absurd” if this issue blocked progress towards a new power-sharing coalition being formed.

The former first minister stressed that an Irish Language Act “can be accommodated” as long as Ulster Scots is also supported in the same legislation.

Robinson continued: “It is entirely legitimate for Sinn Féin to press for an Irish Language Act and of course there is every need for all the parties to respect, and where possible, accommodate differences. but that can never be a one-way street.

“There is no credibility in asserting your need to have your culture respected if you blatantly disrespect that of others.

“So let’s see a sensible deal. Who can complain if there are those who cherish the Irish language or who passionately support Ulster Scots culture? Who would find it unacceptable for arrangements to be put on a statutory basis to protect and support both? Both can be accommodated.”

The DUP had tried to incorporate aspects of Ulster Scots language and culture into any act giving parity to Irish as political cover against criticism from hardline unionist opponents.

But Sinn Féin’s insistence that the act concerns the Irish Language only appears at the moment to be key sticking point in the discussions.

The restoration of that power-sharing coalition now appears more remote before Thursday’s deadline. A senior Irish official told the Guardian on Tuesday evening that the talks were in a “tough phase” but added that “they are not terminal although progress is very slow”.

The talks will continue overnight and for most of Wednesday, even though 10 DUP MPs will be in Westminster later to vote on the Queen’s speech.

If the talks fail, Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire has two choices: either re-impose direct rule and allow London ministers to hand out the £1bn from the DUP-Tory deal; or else allow civil servants to run devolved regional ministries up until the autumn, when a new talks process could be called.