c.

[] ELIZABETH II

Model Northern
Ireland Assembly

BILL 15.2

BILL
TO

Protect and promote the Ulster Scots language within Northern Ireland.

B E IT ENACTED by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and

assented to by Her Majesty as follows:

Definitions
1. The Ulster Scots language is defined for the purposes of this Act as the
regional version of the Scots language spoken in Northern Ireland.

Exemption from section 3 of the Irish Language and Heritage Act

2.(i) All existing signage including an Irish translation of the original
English text, as described in the Irish Language and Heritage Act, is to be
removed from the council areas of Ards and North Down, Mid and East Antrim,
and Antrim and Newtownabbey.
(ii) In cases where such signage is not yet present but is set to be under the
Irish Language and Heritage Act, no such signage is to be put in place.
(iii) The council areas of Ards and North Down, Mid and East Antrim, and
Antrim and Newtownabbey are to be similarly exempt from the implementaation
of Irish into place names on signage and government documents.

Reclassification of the Ulster Scots language

3. The Department for Communities will hereby officially recognise Ulster
Scots as a language within its own right, putting to an end the uncertainty

1
c. [] Ulster Scots Protection Act (Northern Ireland) 2017

propagated by the previous verdict of the Department of Culture, Arts and

Leisure.

Road signage and recognition within legislature

4. All official and government documents will have full Ulster Scots
translation available along with the original English counterpart, and Ulster Scots
will have equal status with English in all Assembly, Executive, and judiciary
dealings, and an Ulster Scots translator will be available within the Assembly,
Executive, and in the judiciary in the council areas of Ards and North Down, Mid
and East Antrim, and Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Bill enforcement
5.(i) The appointment of an Ulster Scots Protection Commissioner is to take
place, to ensure the enforcement of this Act in Northern Ireland as a whole and
the areas of Ards and North Down, Mid and East Antrim, and Antrim and
Newtownabbey.
(ii) The appointment of the Ulster Scots Protection Commissioner si to be the
responsibility of the Executive Office of Northern Ireland.
(iii) Should the role of Ulster Scots Protection Commissioner become vacant,
the Executive Office is obliged to ensure that a replacement is found within two
weeks of the position becoming vacant.

Funding delegation and implementation

6.(i) Funding for all sections of this Act are to be handled by the Minister
for Communities.
(ii) All aspects of this Act are to be impemented within five years of the Royal
Assent of this Act.

Extension, commencement and short title

7.(i) This Act extends to the whole of Northern Ireland.
(ii) This Act shall come into effect on the day of its passing.
(iii) This Act may be cited as the Ulster Scots Protection Act (Northern
Ireland) 2017.