Gerry Adams: `No assembly without an Irish language law` Mr Ahern said the 2006 agreement was that after the UK government`s commitment to an Irish language law, „the counterpart would be to pay attention to the whole issue of Scotland and Ireland”. Key elements of the deal included sinn Féin`s full acceptance of the Northern Ireland Police Service (PSNI), the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Democratic Unionist Party`s (DUP) commitment to share power with Irish Republicans in the Northern Ireland executive. The government`s plan called for the devolution of police and judicial powers within two years of the re-establishment of the Northern Ireland executive. The parties had until 10 November 2006 to respond to the draft agreement. The First and Deputy Prime Minister would be appointed on November 24, 2006. After the parliamentary elections of 7 March 2007, a new executive was planned for the elections of 26 March 2007. But compromise remains a difficult word to pronounce – in all languages. The October 13 joint statement stated that governments had „requested the parties to confirm their adoption by November 10, after consultation with their members.” In a Sinn Féin statement on 6 November, „Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle instructed the party leadership to follow the course set at St Andrews and continue ongoing negotiations to resolve outstanding issues” and that they are „firmly convinced that any outstanding difficulties can be resolved”. The DUP statement said: „Given that Sinn Féin is not yet ready to take the decisive step in policing, the DUP will not be required to engage in any aspect of power-sharing before this certainty.” While neither declaration was an „acceptance” of the agreement, both governments said there was enough support from all parties to continue the process. Sinn Féin was then pushed to introduce an Irish language law into discussions on the 2006 St Andrew`s Agreement, which restored decentralisation. · Human rights, rural and urban disadvantages, a possible Equality Bill, an Equal Opportunities Act, an Irish Language Development Protection Act, a review of the parade policy, the reintegration of former prisoners and other matters.
Pobal continued his lobbying, while the SDLP tried a private member`s Irish Language Bill in 2009 – but Sinn Féin only attempted an executive draft on the matter in 2014, three years after he was appointed by the Ministry of Culture. . . .