Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. Although Dingle is not in my constituency a number of individuals from Dingle have been in contact with me in the past two weeks regarding the uncertainty surrounding the signposting of their town, which continues to be a matter of grave concern among the vast majority of Dingle's inhabitants.

A recent survey carried out by local businesses has shown that 84% of tourists who travelled to Dingle by car over the St. Patrick's holiday weekend experienced difficulty finding the town because of the omission of the name Dingle from signposts. The survey was conducted in a number of local bed and breakfasts, restaurants, shops and pubs in the town. Tourists were asked whether their visit was hampered by the omission of the word Dingle from the signposts, which, since the introduction of the place names order by Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, read only "An Daingean". Some 84 out of the 100 tourists surveyed said they had difficulty finding the town travelling by car and 95% said they knew the town only as Dingle not as An Daingean. Some 94% indicated it would be more beneficial to visitors to the area if the names on the signposts were indicated in English and in Irish. Some 93% indicated they preferred the name Dingle-Daingean Uí Chúis.

One visitor from Iceland said he and his companion wasted a considerable amount of time trying to find the town after a long journey and was very annoyed not to see signs to Dingle. Mike Ekberg from Iceland stated: "Our guidebook helped us to clarify that we were in Dingle. Without this help we might have been lost. In Kinsale and Kenmare, our inn keepers referred to this town as Dingle".

The survey came about following mounting frustration in the town owing to confusion being experienced in the town by tourists. Local bed and breakfasts report that the past winter was the quietest they ever had and fear that casual trade, that is, those travelling by car without a set plan, is bypassing Dingle as the name can no longer be seen on any signpost in Kerry. Locals point out that bilingual signposts are in place both inside and outside Gaeltacht areas in Cork, Galway, Mayo and Donegal, and they ask why Dingle is the only town to have had its name taped over.

A total of 93% of local qualified electors in the area voted to return the bilingual names of Dingle-Daingean Uí Chúis last October. It is unfortunate that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, is not present tonight, given that he is responsible for causing this confusion. I hope the Minister of State will clarify, once and for all, what is the Government's real intention with regard to restoring Dingle's original names.

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