STORMONT civil servants say no specific funding has been set aside for plans to officially recognise for the first time Irish-speaking areas in the north.
Belfast and Carntogher in Co Derry are among five areas across Ireland that have been chosen by cross-border body Foras na Gaeilge (FnaG) to apply for formal status as 'Irish language network' communities.
It will be the first time Irish-speaking communities outside of the south's Gaeltacht areas will have official recognition.
But while the Dublin government has set aside funding to support the areas in the south, no money has been agreed north of the border.
FnaG last week said providing funds itself would not be possible under its current budget constraints.
Irish-language campaigners in the north welcomed the plans, but warned of "serious question marks" over funding.
While the Irish language networks in the south are covered under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, the networks in the north are designated under a non-statutory scheme operated by FnaG.
Northern Ireland has not had a power-sharing government in place for the past year amid political deadlock, with civil servants instead running executive departments.
The Department for Communities (DfC) said it already provides about a quarter of FnaG's budget, and any decision to fund the scheme would be a matter for the cross-border body.
Referring to funds available in the south, DfC said "no similar funding package has been set aside by the NI executive to support this programme".
A spokesman said: "The Department for Communities jointly funds Foras na Gaeilge with the Department for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
"The DfC contribution is circa £2.587m which represents 25 per cent of Foras na Gaeilge's total budget.
"Any decision to operate and fund an Irish Language Network in the Northern Ireland is a matter for Foras na Gaeilge."
