The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the islands has said she is confident the commitments given in the Belfast Agreement on the Irish language will be carried through in practice.
A number of groups in the North have expressed concerns because the Northern Ireland Bill, the legislation implementing the agreement make no mention of the Irish language.
Ms de Valera was in Belfast yesterday for a one-day visit. She said references to the Irish language in the Belfast Agreement were "discussed at the highest political level in order to come to that agreement".
"No doubt that will filter through as time goes on and the agreement is implemented."
While the Northern Ireland Bill does not refer to the Irish language, the NIO has pointed out that a new education order, due to become law shortly, places a statutory obligation on the Department of Education "to encourage and facilitate" education through Irish.
Ms de Valera who was accompanied by the director of the Arts Council, Ms Patricia Quinn, met the chief executive and chairman of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. She said the aim of her trip was to forge links and encourage co-operation between North and South.
"I believe co-operation in the arts will grow and I believe it should grow. The whole area of the arts should not be politicised in the same way perhaps as other elements of government," she said.
"It makes sense to share what is available in the arts world whether it be expertise or artefacts. It makes sense for a small island to do that."
The Minister met the management of UTV to discuss television transmission, North and South, and digital broadcasting. Discussions are ongoing about moves to improve the transmission of RTE in the North. She also visited a 1798 exhibition in the Ulster Museum and a community arts forum in Belfast.