Bilingual Irish and English traffic signs and road markings have been installed on the Falls Road in west Belfast as part of a pilot scheme led by the Department for Infrastructure.

The new signage runs between Springfield Road and Whiterock Road and displays bus lane and parking information in both languages. It is the first use of dual-language road traffic signs anywhere in Northern Ireland.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said the initiative demonstrates her department's commitment to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. She thanked Forbairt Feirste and Conradh na Gaeilge for campaigning to promote the visibility of the Irish language.

Sinn Féin West Belfast MLA Aisling Reilly called the installation an important milestone that reflects the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gaeltacht Quarter. She said the scheme is a significant investment for the area.

Piarais Mac Alastair, project manager at Forbairt Feirste, described the signs as recognition of the everyday reality of thousands of Irish speakers who live, work, study and visit the area. He urged the Minister to extend the pilot to the wider Gaeltacht Quarter as designated by Belfast City Council.

Cuisle Nic Liam, language rights coordinator with Conradh na Gaeilge, said the new signage emerged from a collaborative co-design process and establishes a model of best practice. She stated that dual-language signs play an essential role in normalising Irish in shared public spaces and called for the pilot to be replicated in other communities.

Irish Language Commissioner Pól Deeds welcomed the scheme and expressed hope it would be extended in future, in line with best practice standards being developed by his office. He said the project strengthens the legislative duty on public authorities to support the growth of Irish.