The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has tabled a petition of concern in the Northern Ireland Assembly to block a private member's bill on Irish-medium education. The bill, introduced by Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan, would require the Department of Education to prepare a workforce plan for schools in the Irish-medium sector. It was due to be voted on by MLAs on Tuesday.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the petition was part of his party's response to what he described as Sinn Féin's "arrogance" over the Drumcree parading dispute. He told reporters at Stormont that the DUP wanted to "ensure the arrogance of Sinn Féin is kept in check" and would use the "mechanisms at our disposal to thwart their agenda". He added that the party understood the petition would receive support from other unionist parties.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has also signed the petition, according to BBC News NI. Earlier, UUP leader Jon Burrows said he would be minded to support it. Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister said his party would also be willing to sign, describing the bill as a "disproportionate tilting of funding in a very partisan and selective way".

A petition of concern requires the signatures of 30 MLAs from at least two parties. If deployed, any vote requires cross-community support from a majority of both unionists and nationalists.

Pat Sheehan said the move would harm children who wish to learn through the Irish language. Speaking in the assembly chamber, he accused the DUP of "nothing but anti-Irish bigotry" and said the petition was a "disgraceful abuse" of its purpose. He added that a safeguard intended to protect minorities was being turned against children educated through a minority language.

Conchúr Ó Muadaigh of Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge described the DUP's actions as "scandalous" and said no party should support using the petition as a sectarian veto against 7,000 Irish-speaking students.

The Board of Governors of Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh in Ballymurphy has written to the First and Deputy First Ministers and MLAs expressing "profound disappointment and deep concern" over the petition. In the letter, signed by chairperson Brónagh Fusco and principal Pilib Mistéil, they said the bill is not ideological but seeks to address a practical issue of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers and staff in the Irish-medium sector. They called on all parties to support the bill.

Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson said the petition was punishing children and schools, and repeated his party's call for reform of Stormont to prevent any single party from holding progress to ransom.

The dispute follows unionist anger over Sinn Féin's involvement in protests on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, County Armagh, which blocked an Orange Order parade. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and other senior Sinn Féin figures have been interviewed by police investigating the demonstrations. Last month the DUP announced it would block official engagements involving O'Neill in response.