A new policy over the usage of the Irish language has been passed by Belfast City Council in what Sinn Féin described as an “historic moment” for the council.

The policy aims to remove barriers to the use of the Irish language in public life, promote the learning of Irish, support the promotion of Irish through its facilities, programmes and events and take resolute action to promote and protect the Irish language across its own public-facing services.

It also includes a pledge for the council to adopt a dual-language approach to signage at all its facilities.

The policy comes with a two-year implementation plan and is expected to see a new identity and logo designed.

Councillor Tomás Ó Néill described it as “putting Béal Feirste [Belfast] back into the city, not just in our logo”.

He described “one of the most progressive Irish language policies that we’ve seen on this island”.

“Thousands of people attend Irish language classes on a weekly basis and there are an estimated 50,000 across the city with varying degrees of Irish,” he said.

“The Irish language community here is thriving, it’s at the heart of our communities right across Belfast and we should be doing all we can to support that growth.”

His party colleague councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly said the policy will have an “unbelievable impact” and will “shine a positive light on the city on the world stage”.

Unionists opposed the move, and suggested there would be legal challenges, but Alliance councillor Michael Long said his party had backed it because it is “right” and “something that is positive”.

“We are supporting minority languages rights for an indigenous language,” he said.

“It’s the same as what happens in other parts of the United Kingdom, whether that’s Wales or Scotland or Cornwall, and I believe that it’s important that we celebrate the diversity within our community.”

He also said the policy is a framework, and will cut what he described as the “continual bickering” at every monthly council meeting around the Irish language.

Outside the meeting, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, president of Conradh na Gaeilge welcomed the passing of the policy.

“The Irish language is flourishing across our city,” he said.

“We have been working with Irish language groups and speakers, Belfast City Council and councillors for almost a decade on this policy.

“We have helped design this policy based on the fundamental principles of parity of esteem enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement to take ‘resolute action’ to develop and support the Irish language.”

Pressure is constantly growing for increased equality for the Irish language in both parts of Ireland.

Last Saturday, thousands of protesters marched through Dublin city centre on Saturday demanding urgent political intervention to protect the Irish language and Irish-speaking regions.

Organisers estimated 25,000 people took part in the demonstration, billed ‘Cearta: The National Protest for the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht’.

Traffic was brought to a standstill as demonstrators wound their way from the Garden of Remembrance, through the city centre, at one point stretching the length of O’Connell Street, before rallying at the Leinster House end of Molesworth Street.

The protest was organised by a coalition of language rights groups and community organisations to highlight what they said were systemic issues facing Irish speakers and that endangered the viability of Gaeltacht regions. They also demanded action on language, housing, education and funding.

Addressing the crowd in Irish, Mr Mac Giolla Bhéin, who is also spokesperson for protest group An Dream Dearg, described the protest as “historic” and said “for hundreds of years we have been fighting for recognition, for dignity and respect for our language in our own country”.

Commending the progress made to advance the Welsh language in Wales, where the authorities have set a target of creating one million Welsh speakers by 2050, Mr Mac Giolla Bhéin asked why the 26 County government did not follow their example.

“Why can’t our Government in Dublin do the same thing? Why is Irish still in the ha’penny place when we’re told that the State has more money than ever before?”