Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House. Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom labhairt faoin chinneadh conspóideach an t-ainm "Dingle" a bhaint anuas de na comharthaí bóthair lasmuigh de Ghaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne.

Tá clú agus cáil ar an bhaile beag seo in iarthar Chiarraí, "Dingle". Baile agus ceantar mór feirmeoireachta agus iascaigh ab ea é uair. Cé go bhfuil siúd fós i gceist is i dtionscail na turasóireachta is mó go bhfuil cáil bainte amach aige anois.

Níl a fhios agam an dtuigeann an tAire an díobháil a dhéanfaidh sé leis an chinneadh uafásach seo an t-ainm Dingle a chaitheamh anuas. Is fiú €100 milliún euro an turasóireacht don cheantar le os cionn 50% den lucht oibre bainteach leis — tá an-chuid daoine tagtha abhaile ó Mheiriceá agus Sasana, chun a gclanna a thógáil.

Mar sin, ní cheart don Aire a bheith ag cur a lámh isteach i dtionscail nó in ainm áite — go mórmhór an "Dingle" brand name. Mar a deir an seanfhocal, ná dein nós — ná bris nós.

I appeal to the Minister to carry out a consultation on this matter. Everybody is in favour of a bilingual situation on the roads outside the Gaeltacht. We are only causing confusion for tourists, however, by having road signs for Dingle only in Irish. Our roads are twisty and winding enough without having visitors straining to read signs and trying to understand An Daingean when they are more familiar with the placename of Dingle. People's views must count because we live in a democracy. I appeal to the Minister to allow for bilingual road signs. That is what the people of Dingle town want, in addition to those on the Dingle peninsula and in County Kerry generally. That is what the local authorities want also.