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

I move amendment No. 99:

In page 57, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following:

"(3) (a)An advertising structure or town or landscape map shall only be granted a licence by a planning authority under this section where advertisements on a structure and information on a map are in the Irish language or in both official languages.

(b)A planning authority may issue guidelines on how an advertisement structure may comply with paragraph (a) so as to ensure that no less than 50 per cent of the text area is in Irish, with the Irish text no less prominent than the English text, or in the case of digital or rotating ad space on an advertisement structure, that no less than 30 minutes of every hour is spent advertising in the Irish language.".

Táim chun déileáil le leasú Uimh. 99, a dhíríonn isteach ar struchtúir fhógraíochta nó struchtúir a bhaineann le stair bhaile, rudaí poiblí. Leagann sé síos go mbeadh gach rud dátheangach ar a laghad nó go mbeadh níos mó Gaeilge ann, is é sin, go mbeadh 50% den spás ar an bhfógra ar a laghad tugtha don Ghaeilge, is cuma más fógra leictreonach nó fógra seasta atá ann, agus go mbeadh comhstádas aici. Ar aon bhealach le hAcht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, cuireann sé sin ina luí ar dhaoine go bhfuil an dá theanga oifigiúil ann, go bhfuil stádas ar leith ag an nGaeilge agus nach féidir loiceadh ar an stádas sin tríd an téacs a dhéanamh níos lú, é a chur in italics nó a leithéid.

Sa chás seo, leagtar síos sa leasú cad gur chóir a dhéanamh: "An advertising structure or town or landscape map shall only be granted a licence by a planning authority under this section where advertisements on a structure and information on a map are in the Irish language or in both official languages." There is a presumption that all information is given in both languages but that is not the case. Dublin City Council, for instance, is very good in its approach, with council officials even going beyond what people expect. The council requires that when new estates are being named, they must be named in the Irish language. However, in the neighbouring council, one still sees signs only in English going up in some estates. We need to see both languages used across the board.

Where the State can influence the situation, as in this case, it should do so. This amendment deals with advertising structures. Guidelines are needed for where somebody seeks to put something on a road, which we have often seen, especially in heritage towns. Where there is a significant structure, there often will be an explanatory map. There should be a requirement that it be provided in Irish. It is a lot easier to do that now we have QR codes, which involve very little writing. People can scan the code and pick their preferred language, whether Irish, English or any other language.

This amendment sets out that in the case of advertising structures and landscape maps, the two official languages will be of equal status, with the Irish language text to be of no less prominence than the English text. It has often been the case in the past that the Irish text is given a smaller, italicised typeface. All the local authorities and planning authorities should understand that when granting licences for anything like this, they must ensure the Irish language has co-prominence or a prominence above the English language. The same is true in respect of those rotating texts we sometimes see in advertising structures. The Irish text must be displayed for the same number of minutes as the English text. If the rotation is done by the hour, for example, 30 minutes at least must be given to the Irish language.

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