Only a tiny fraction of residents in Belfast are opposed to dual-language signs, according to a survey, despite the actions of unionist hardliners who this week used an angle grinder to vandalise one sign.

Last week, Belfast City Council voted through a new policy to promote use of the Irish language, prompting a unionist backlash and warnings of loyalist violence.

The new draft 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 council facilities, programmes and events.

The policy also includes a pledge for the council to adopt a dual language approach to signage at all its facilities. It comes with a two-year implementation plan and is expected to see a new identity and logo designed for vehicles and uniforms.

So far 536 streets in Belfast have been approved for signs in both English and Irish.

But according to the 25,570 residents contacted for their opinion on the bilingual signs through the survey process provided to them by Belfast City Council, only 985 said they were not in favour of them.

According to the data, not a single resident surveyed opposed dual-language signage on 409 out of the 536 relevant streets, and none of the streets had a majority of residents opposed to the signs.

On average, 1.7% opposition was received per street, and only 2.9% of residents overall.

The president of Irish language lobby group Conradh na Gaeilge, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, said the survey “entirely contradicts long-standing complaints from the DUP and others, who have been boasting fictional mass opposition to signage in order to disrupt the implementation of the policy.

“That stance simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny when you study the hard data.’

He said dual language signs were a “physical demonstration of equality”.

“Dual language signage includes both Irish and English, side by side,” said President Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin.

“There is nothing to fear from equality, rather, let us celebrate and respect diversity and inclusion.

“We urge members of the Executive to quickly return to their own obligations on the Irish language, to finalise the appointment of an Irish language Commissioner without any further delay and finally adopt an Irish language Strategy which has been a legal duty since 2006.”

But loyalists who attacked an Irish language street sign in east Belfast have said “it won’t be the last”, according to a report in the Belfast Telegraph.

The sign to Shandon Park – which bore the street name in both English and Irish – was cut with an angle grinder, to remove only the Irish words ‘Páirc an tSeanduín’, at around 8.15pm on Saturday.

Loyalists based in the nearby Braniel estate - itself bearing an Anglicised name derived from Gaelic - were blamed for the vandalism.

Reacting to the damage, Sinn Féin councillor Pádraig Donnelly branded it “disgraceful”.

“This was a disgraceful act of vandalism designed to stoke division and intolerance,” said councillor Donnelly.

“There is nothing to fear from the Irish language, or indeed from equality.

“The rights of Irish language speakers must be respected”, he added.