The NI Assembly has been told that "costs" were among the reasons that ‘promised’ Irish language legislation won't be brought forward.

Culture Minister Edwin Poots said he was against the act and was “unpersuaded" there is a case for it.

Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff, chairman of the Minister's own committee - that of culture, arts and leisure - said the move was "a mistake".

"He is missing an opportunity here, a major opportunity to prove that he is capable and willing of being minister for all of the people," he said.

However, Mr Poots said the Northern Ireland Civil Service had already spent just over £20m delivering Irish language projects and translations in the past year.

He said this figure excluded the expenditure of local councils and the Northern Ireland Court Service.

"The enhancement and protection of the development of the Irish language is an important matter for Northern Ireland, as is the enhancement and protection of the Ulster-Scots language, heritage and culture," he said.

However, he emphasised: “There is, in my view, insufficient community consensus; potentially significant costs; and a real possibility that legislation could undermine good relations and in so doing prove counter-productive to those wishing to see the language developed in a non-politicised and inclusive manner."

The Irish language act was promised to Sinn Fein by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair at the St Andrew's talks in 2006.

However, the act is now the responsibility of the Executive, and requires cross-community consensus.

(BMcC)