Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The function of the Placenames Commission is to advise the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on Irish forms of placenames for legal purposes as provided for in part five of the Official Languages Act 2003, including the placenames of Ireland as they are defined in article 31 of the Act, in order to confirm the Irish forms of those placenames, and preparation of placename orders as provided for in article 32 of the Act; Irish forms of placenames not given in the Act, that is to say street names; publication and official usage of Irish forms of placenames; development of research and study on placenames in third level institutions and other educational institutions; appropriate marketing on the research of the placenames branch and other matters pertaining to the placenames of Ireland.

As of July 2003, the commission is appointed for a three-year term. The current commission was appointed with effect from 10 September 2006 and meets six times a year on average. Since the enactment of the Official Languages Act 2003, the commission has advised on matters relating to ten placenames orders which have been made under the provisions of the Act. The commission is supported by the placenames branch of my Department and I will be happy to address further questions the Deputy may have about the work of the branch.

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