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AT THE LAUNCH of her party’s Assembly Election campaign, DUP leader Arlene Foster took aim at Sinn Féin’s consistent calls for an Irish Language Act, and made an attention-grabbing claim.
There are more people in Northern Ireland that speak Polish, than speak Irish.
Her comments caused a stir on Monday, with the claim featuring in headlines in the Belfast Telegraph, Irish Independent, and Irish Examiner.
But is it true?
(Send your FactCheck requests to factcheck@thejournal.ie, tweet @TJ_FactCheck, or send us a DM).
Claim: In Northern Ireland, more people speak Polish than speak Irish
What was said:
You can hear a short excerpt of Arlene Foster’s remarks at the DUP’s campaign launch, in the clip above.
For our purposes, we’re interested in these comments in particular:
We will never accede to an Irish Language Act…It amazes me that people cannot see how [Sinn Féin] are using the Irish language as a tool to beat Unionism over the head.
…And never mind that, but the cost that would be incurred, in terms of the Irish language, would be quite incredible. And all for a tiny minority of people who choose to speak the language, and of course they’re entirely entitled to do so.
But if we have an Irish Language Act, maybe we should have a Polish Language Act as well, because there are more people in Northern Ireland that speak Polish than speak Irish. (Emphasis added)
We asked the DUP for evidence to support that claim, and they directed our attention to a particular section of the 2011 Northern Ireland Census (pg 17).
This shows that in 2011, the main language of 1.02% of Northern Ireland residents (17,731) over the age of three was Polish. For 0.24% (4,130) it was Irish.
However, this is not the full picture.
We dug a bit deeper into the 2011 Census, and found the following:
(You can examine all this data for yourself by downloading a spreadsheet below).
So while relatively few residents of Northern Ireland had Irish as their main language, many more than that had some aptitude with the language, and around 6% did or could speak it.
How does that compare with Polish? Unfortunately, we can’t say for sure, because the Census does not have similarly detailed figures for Polish speakers, as it does for gaeilgeoirí.
But we do know this:
The Census has detailed (and fascinating) data on the levels of skill and knowledge in the Irish language – whether reading, writing, speaking, or understanding.
But it does not have similar data for the Polish language, so we can’t say for sure how many Northern Ireland residents, in 2011, could speak or read or understand Polish, in addition to those who listed it as their main language.
And unfortunately, there has been no separate research into this that we could use as evidence.
However, we know that it is highly unlikely – implausible, even – that that number would even approach the equivalent figure for Irish, which 184,898 had some knowledge of, and 104,943 could speak.
Some 19,747 people identified solely, or in part, as Polish in Northern Ireland in 2011 – a greater number than had Polish passports or were born in Poland.
The number of Polish speakers would therefore have to be more than five times the number that identified as Polish, to match the number of Irish speakers.
While we don’t have the figures to confirm it, FactCheck is willing to rule that out as a plausible scenario. Some of the reasons for that are explored in the next section.
Unfortunately, the most recent official figures on language usage date back six years – to the 2011 census.
Obviously, a lot could have happened since then to bring about a change in the language dynamics at play in Northern Ireland, so we’ll have to use other, more recent statistics and extrapolate from them.
Immigration from Poland to Northern Ireland appears, on the whole, to have slightly increased since 2011.
The annual reports of the Registrar General show that the number of people coming to live in Northern Ireland, whose last country of residence was Poland, fell slightly (by 5%) from 2,000 between Mid-2011 and Mid 2012, to 1,900 between Mid-2014 and Mid-2015.
Medical card registrations by Polish nationals rose by 4% from 1,795 in 2011 to 1,872 in 2015, and National Insurance Number applications and registrations also increased, by 19% and 27%, respectively.
Primary school pupils whose first language was registered as Polish have gone from 1,684 to 3,151. That’s an 87% increase, but remember in real terms it amounts to only an additional 1,467.
The number of secondary school students listing Polish as their first language has fallen from 919 to 794.
It should be noted that this relates to students whose first language is Polish, and not all students who can speak Polish, for which we lack figures.
And finally, there has been an increase in the number of instances where a Polish translator was requested by someone engaging with the Northern Ireland health and social care services – from 20,410 in 2011 to 30,465 in 2015.
So while there are certainly some signs of an increase in Polish immigration to Northern Ireland since the 2011 Census, none of these indicators are of a magnitude that would make it plausible that the number of Polish speakers has exploded to the point of rivalling the number of Irish speakers.
Jerome Mullen, Honorary Consul of Poland in Northern Ireland, told FactCheck he estimates that the current Polish population there is around 30,000 or more.
However, Polish language skills do not tend to spread beyond that core community, for several reasons. Mullen says there may be “100 or 200 people at the most” who can speak or read some Polish, but are not themselves Polish.
The reason for that almost certainly lies in the fact that Polish, as a language, is a difficult language to learn. It’s much more difficult for an Irish or English person to learn Polish than for a Polish person to learn English.
Mullen says that there can be some Polish language acquisition by non-Polish nationals where marriage across nationalities takes place, but that this occurs at only a “small level”.
The absence of Polish as a subject being offered to non-Polish school students also contributes to the very low level of uptake outside the Polish community itself.
Remember that the number of Northern Ireland residents in 2011 who described themselves as being able to speak Irish was 104,943.
Even if we allow for a generous estimate of 30,000-35,000 people of Polish identity currently living in Northern Ireland, it is simply implausible that the number of people with the ability to speak some Polish would even approach 104,943.
“There’s absolutely no way that that would be the case,” says Honorary Consul Jerome Mullen.
Despite the absence of clear, official data on the number of people in Northern Ireland with the ability to speak Polish, we do have a significant other data from which we can draw a conclusion.
Arlene Foster’s claim was “There are more people in Northern Ireland that speak Polish, than speak Irish”.
While it is true, based on the 2011 Census, to say there are more people who regard Polish as their main language, this is not the same thing as people who can speak Polish or Irish.
And based on the data available to us, FactCheck is willing to rule out as implausible the possibility that the number of Polish speakers is greater than the number of Irish speakers.
We rate Arlene Foster’s claim Mostly FALSE. As our Verdicts Guide explains, this means: “There is an element of truth in the claim, but it is missing critical details or context. Or, the best available evidence weighs against the claim”.
To download a spreadsheet containing all the data relevant to this article, click here.
This is the first time we’ve fact-checked a claim by Arlene Foster. In future, you will be able to find her FactCheck File here.
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here.
For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here.
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It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. It has nothing to do with how many speak the language, it’s about respect for people’s culture. Arlene is a hag pure and simple.
You spelled “hag” wrong…you left out the C, the U and the NT.
Her opposition to this program at this time has nothing to do with her opposition to this program … It’s a lovely wee deflection from the RHI that she’s wasted £450 million of taxpayers money on. She’s a neck on her like the back of Maggie Thatchers ball sack.. and a face to match..
Her comments about the Irish language are just to keep her core voting demographic happy. They don’t care about RHI, NAMA, Redsky etc, they only care about keeping themmuns from having a First Minister. Oh, and flegs, marches and more flegs.
There are more Polish speaker than (understandable) English speakers in Noran Irean. Let’s face it it’s almost impssible to understand many that speak English, let alone Irish!
F’up Billy
@jane: As an opponent of immigration and someone who advocates for indigenous culture, an bhfuil aon Ghaeilge agat fhéin ar corr ar bith? Deirfinn nach bhfuil morán chultúr Ghaelach agat.
@ Bill Madden. I dunno wha ya takkin aboutt, I’ll just ask me maaa..
Add DUPs Peter Weir refusing school grants to the integrated and shared sector yet returning £47 million out of a £50million fund to British treasury unspent.
How more blatant can they be in nurturing a ‘them and us’ society on sectarian lines.
Only bogots fear equality
@SPARKY good lad, your on “fire” ach aye, wee mon,
An bhuil cead agam dul amach?
@ Billy I’m a true culchie…shhhligo born n breed, and proud of it, someday ya mighut gat outt of Duublen. .
Where did I say I was an opponent of immigration? I’m an opponent of your bullshit that all Christians are evil and all other religions should be fully tolerated without question. Slight difference.
@Noel Cronin: Nil.
@jane: Who rather look after her own pellet burners?
@ Noel Cronin-Ta!
Phog mo thoin Arlene! Ba mhaith liom a fheiceáil mo theanga maireachtáil!
Cracked me up that James, and me on the 65B to work!
@jane: Is it peoples culture to wait in A&E waiting rooms for over twelve hours or sleep on trolly’s in hospital corridors, I am afraid you have your priorities wrong. Money should be spent where it is needed most.
Horrible awful woman
There is also the consideration that Poles are not citizens of Northern Ireland (no disrespect to our Polish friends – who must be unimpressed at being dragged into this row!).
I think the Polish ambassador told them to foxtrot oscar.
Arlene foster, a horrible individual
Yet I bet she’d have no problem pumping funds into that b*stardised version of Scotish Gaelic (Ulster Scot) the Unionists like claim as their unique language
You spelt it wrong Darren. It’s Ooolster Scats.
It’s not even related to Scottish Gaelic. We can read Scottish Gaelic, it’s so similar to Irish.
Ulster Scots looks to me like misspelled English, based on a strong Ulster accent. There’s an example of it somewhere on the visa pages of the new Irish passports, which contain a verse of poems in English, Irish and Ulster Scots.
@Darren, whilst I agree with your sentiment, Ulster Scots is not related to Gaelic. It’s old Scots which is often known as a dialect of English. Just saying …
Ulster Scots, as a few people below have already noted, is a variant of Lowland Scots which began as the Northumbrian dialect of Old English (Modern English is mostly derived from the Mercian dialect) – it is a language its own right. Oddly enough though you may actually be right about Arlene’s attitudes towards Scottish Gaelic – most of its speakers are Presbytarians.
@Anne Marie Devlin: Absolutely – it’s an Anglo-Saxon dialect called ‘Lellands’ in Scotland, and ‘Ullans’ in NI
Doric
You watch too much, watch less
Meant specifically for wall watcher
I’d say she was a very hairy baby.
Lmao
Be interesting to see if the DUP vote is affected by her leadership..does the DUP have ordinary working class voters who will vent their spleen on the cash for ash enrichment of the connected.
We will never really know since the number of seats is drastically reduced this time round, both SF and DUP will be down.
@Paul: And about time.
How about Fact check Arlene: fear nó bean ☺
Foster reminds me of Zappone – just to hear either of them speak is enough to drive me cuckoo.
Zappone is bad but Arlene is in a league of her own.
How about how many Polish learning Irish? I actually know of a few Unionists who in the spirit of the progress have actually been on courses to learn conversational Irish. They also get the benefit of earwigging and understanding Nationalists and are able to return smart remarks as gaeilge. It is actually a gesture that goes a long way too and makes for interesting craic. That should be more the thing we hear about even though it’s pretty rare. The likes of Foster would call them traitors.
Technically able to speak it, and using it in everyday life are two very different things. Of course there are more people speaking Polish to communicate, that’s obvious.
To communicate. It isn’t to beat people over the head with political tools, whether you’re Polish or a schoolchild practicing your languages. Does Foster never have a normal two-way conversation with anybody? She’s talking more like a WWII censor than a politician.
Troll F’off
@Fearghal: good man Fearghal, maybe next time you’ll engage your brain and actually think of something worthwhile to add to the discussion
You seem scundered. Lol. Get a life scundered. Loser.
Looks like Maggie is back
Nick cotton back on the drink
Gabh abhaile Arlene…oh tá bron orm tá tú abhaile a thaisce.
So crocodile tears over wood pellet burning but no tears over Irish from her?
@OpenBorders:
You are one of the most disgusting “people” I have had the life experience to come across in a virtual world.
I’ve read your previous comments
Hilarious how many here commenting about how disrespectful DUP are of the Irish language (and rightly so they are) but then go on to denigrate another, Ulster Scots, you can’t claim it’s sectarian/disrespectful when they to do it but not when you do it – that makes you one of them!
@Mo: Ulster Scots, is a hilarious dialect of English which has had too much money spent on it anyway just to appease a few.
So what you’re saying is equality only if it’s the Irish Language instead of equality for the Irish Language in line with others – by the way there’s more money given to Irish Language in NI than Ulster Scots but don’t let that get in they way of “non Irish” bashing!
@Mo: As I said in my comment Ulster Scots is English spoken in a strange and sometimes funny dialect it should never have been given language status any “mare” than “pigeon” English, but I dae think it is quare crack listening tae some folk taaking that way, hope its naw loste, maybe you have the dictionary and can correct my mistakes…I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone speaking English like that and really enjoy it.
The hate is strong in this one!…..She should never be allowed in a position of authority over the Irish identifying community in NI.
She is a sectarian witch and unfortunately Northern Ireland will stay in the dark ages with the likes of her in charge.
The only Polish people I know are hardworking with excellent work ethic accompanied with diligence.
That’s from experience, I beg to ask why Is there an article on your site asking this?
@Jake Gundersonn: Maybe they could teach you some English?
Jake did you read the article?
Maybe people put down on a form that they can speak irish. But if the north is anything like the Republic Polish is spoken more in daily use. And I hate to agree with a Unionist.
The people of the 26 counties have all been subjected to the torture that is Peig. It is only fair that after 30 years of violence and terrorism, that everyone north of the border should also have to learn Peig.
Fcuk it – we should have made the English learn it too – as a condition of the Good Friday agreement- and as punishment for Bloody Sunday and the Famine.
It hard to believe that Arlene Foster is as ugly in the inside as the outside she should be in the Guinness book of records .
Ba chóir go mbeadh iris don Journal ar fáil do sna Gaeilgeóirí uilig ar oileán na hÉireann. Beidh deis againn go léir ansin ár gcumas sa teanga a thaispeáint.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: why are you speaking double Dutch
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: what the hell are you talking about?
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: What the hell are you talking about?
My son has two polish friends. All three are doing Irish for their GCSEs. Try that one Arlene… Lol
Ta gra mor agam leis an teanga gaelige, ach ta me ag caint bearla ….. I have the greatest love for Irish and Scots gaelic, my favourite tv channel is BBC Alba..where we see people of all sections of society speaking the language, Ulster Scots is a dialect of English that has had too much money wasted on it already, It is, I suppose wishful thinking that come the election, more people will see her and her close circle of followers, Donaldson, Wilson, Dodds, Campbell and the rest for what they are…bigots….
Sin a bhuaill an sceail anois…
In all my days living there I never heard anyone talking to each other in Irish, she is right.
Like it or not another language is spoken linked to Ireland called Irish and the child of that part of Ireland should be given that choice in their schools. English is a second language to polish children so Irish children should have that choice of a second language.
@Angela McCarthy: You should try and get a job anywhere where Irish is spoken as a first language.
I don’t understand her argument, the Irish are natives of Ireland while the Polish are immigrants.
Presbyterians have a long association with the Irish language
http://www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com/history/presbyterians-and-the-irish-language/
Most protestants have spoken Irish without even knowing
Words like Shankill road
Translates roughly as old church Road sean kill ,Kill was a old word for a church.
That explains it then, only Presbyterians having a long association with Irish language.
Arlene Foster is not a Presbyterian……
@Chris Kirk: Yes, but her party is and its her party that makes the decisions.
i think she might be COI or Anglican not sure if they are the same,
@Bernard Lebanidze: What evidence do you have that the DUP is run by the Presbyterian church.
There is no such thing as Church of Ireland or Anglican, it is the same.
@Chris Kirk: Yes, she is, like me, C.O.I. and Anglican and that embarrasses me, agus ta gra mor agam leis an teanga gaelige…She is a disgrace to her Church.
In fairness…..Arlene wouldn’t be great when it comes to facts based on numbers (or financial costs)…..
Well Arlene and her supporters certainly “polished” off a half a billion in renewable hate grants.
This totally misses the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) signed by the UK Govt in 2001, recognising both Irish/Gaeilge and Ulster Scots for Northern Ireland. The charter is for signatories to commit to protecting minority languages, i.e. languages that are endangered. Arlene Foster is confusing language legislation with equalities legislation when they are quite separate. Polish speakers have a parent culture on another part of the globe whereas Irish / Scottish Gaelic, Scots/Ulster Scots (and Welsh, Manx, Cornish etc al) only exist in these islands. The argument is akin to policies for endangered species, not access to services, which is a different matter.
Hospital trolleys and long waiting lists to see doctors not a problem in the north then…….
have your say