Talks between two Stormont Ministers at the centre of a row over Irish-language signs at Belfast’s Grand Central Station have failed to resolve their differences, the Belfast High Court heard today.
A judge confirmed the legal challenge mounted by loyalist activist Jamie Bryson will advance to a full hearing early next year.
Irish-language rights group Conradh na Gaeilge and TUV MLA Timothy Gaston were also both granted rights to participate in the case.
Mr Bryson is seeking to judicially review Sinn Féin Minister for Infrastructure Liz Kimmins’s approval of the installation of Irish-language signs at Grand Central.
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He claims the decision to allocate £150,000 (€170,400) for the train station project was very controversial and cut across other Stormont departments to the extent that the issue should have been brought to the Executive Committee for discussion and agreement.
By failing to take that step, Ms Kimmins breached the Ministerial Code, the activist contends.
DUP Minister for Communities Gordon Lyons has already obtained permission to intervene in the proceedings based on his opinion that the decision was cross-cutting.
The challenge was put on hold in September after Mr Justice McAlinden urged the Executive to attempt to resolve the dispute and avoid being seen as a “laughing stock”.
He called on Ministers to enter discussions instead of spending vital public money being on opposing sides in a legal battle.
It was also suggested that Northern Ireland’s newly appointed first Irish language and Ulster-Scots commissioners could be consulted in a bid to defuse the argument.
At a review hearing on Thursday, counsel representing Ms Kimmins, Tony McGleenan KC, confirmed talks have taken place.
“The two Ministers in the Department for Infrastructure and the Department for Communities have met to discuss these issues, but there has been no resolution in respect of their separate positions,” he said.
The court was told there is no indication that the dispute will be brought back to the Executive Committee.
