Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The board's intention is to promote the new personal advocacy service as a distinct service and to target people with disabilities and those who work with them. On the passing of the legislation, the statutory body will be called the citizens information board, an bord um fhaisnéis do shaoránaigh. However, the board's important function in the provision of advocacy services will be referenced in the strap line and it will read "information, advice and advocacy".

My first instinct is always to support the Irish language title but there was a greater priority in this case to tidy up and create a brand we can sell, one that everybody, particularly visitors, can immediately grasp. I felt that this service was spread all over the place between Comhairle, Oasis and citizens information boards and needed to be unified and tidied up. Though I can see the other perspective, this view means that the service must do what it says on the tin, that is, information will be provided to people across all State services. It is best to simply call the service what it is. It would be ironic if a board with €24 million of State money, charged with giving information, could not give information about itself in simple, clear terms.

On this occasion we will not be able to satisfy our great love of the Irish language and the requirement to put everything in the title, such as "advocacy, information and advice", though this phrase will be in the strap line. I think this is the best way forward, though I understand the other view.

See this speech in context