Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has asked her officials to examine expanding bilingual road signage in West Belfast. The move follows a pilot scheme installed along parts of the Falls Road between Whiterock Road and Springfield Road in July.

The minister told the Assembly on Tuesday that officials will complete a scoping exercise on extending dual language signage along the full length of the Falls Road within the Gaeltacht Quarter. The work will involve assessing existing signage, designing new bilingual signs, processing authorisation, identifying funding and scheduling installation, which may take several months.

Kimmins described the existing signage as a positive addition to the Gaeltacht Quarter and West Belfast. She noted a strong positive reaction to the signs and said the initiative reflects growing interest in the Irish language, with classes in high demand. Extending the scheme, she said, would build on current momentum and encourage more people to engage with the language.

Sinn Féin MLA Aisling Reilly welcomed the announcement, saying it would support the revival of Irish and contribute to the transformation of West Belfast. She said the language is flourishing in the area, with record numbers learning it across the island.

The announcement came as English-only road markings were added to bus lanes this week on other parts of the Falls Road.