[14] In 2017, pressure group An Dream Dearg organised a rally in favour of the act in Belfast, attracting several thousand supporters.

[15] In May 2019, more than 200 prominent Irish people signed an open letter urging then Republic of Ireland Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and then Prime Minister of the UK Theresa May to support the act.

[17] Foster also stated that "If you feed a crocodile they're going to keep coming back and looking for more" with regard to Sinn Féin's demands for the act and accused the party of "using the Irish language as a tool to beat Unionism over the head.

[22][23][24] In January 2017, then Sinn Féin deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal,[25] and the party declined to replace him.

[28] Gerry Adams, then Sinn Féin leader, stated in August 2017 that "There won't be an assembly without an Acht na Gaeilge.

"[9] According to The Independent in 2019, the Irish Language Act became the most public issue of disagreement in discussions about restoring Stormont, and it was "almost certainly" required for a deal to be made to end the deadlock.

On 6 December, the act received royal assent, meaning that Irish would become an official language in Northern Ireland once the relevant provisions are brought into force.