Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Official Languages Act deals with State advertising so the Minister of State is quite correct. Local authorities put up the signage and, in fairness, they are quite good. When there is signage for an historical trail or something else, usually one side is as Gaeilge and the other as Béarla. I do not have questions about that. If in future, somebody complains, he or she can complain to An Coimisinéir Teanga because there is greater protection. If someone was driving along a road and saw an advertising hoarding owned by a number of companies that got permission from a local authority like Dublin City Council or Offaly County Council, there is no control over that and this amendment is a way of trying to assert some control over it. The only control over it that really exists is the stipulation that a picture of a nude man or woman cannot be stuck up on a motorway because it is a distraction and there is control if specific obscene images are put on one of those virtual rotating advertising hoardings because of another law. In this case, we are saying that this could be a way of ensuring that at the very least, advertising is as Gaeilge and as Béarla. We are looking for 50% but if it was a lower percentage to reflect what is in the Official Languages Act, so be it. At least, it would be a start.