Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the cost to his Department of sign replacement resulting from the requirement of the Department and all agencies and bodies under the Department's remit to replace signs which were in place prior to March 2009 where the existing signs in Irish did not or would not meet the requirements in terms of Irish text by 2012. [7193/11]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 341: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the anticipated cost to his Department of ensuring compliance by the Department and by all agencies and bodies under its remit with the requirements under the Official Languages Act to replace any sign currently in English only by March 2013. [7208/11]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 341 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, S.I. No. 391 of 2008 requires all public bodies designated under the Official Languages Act 2003: to replace signs, which were erected before 1 March 2009 and which have errors in the text in Irish, by 1 March 2012; and to replace signs, which were erected in English only before 1 March 2009 with bilingual signs or with signs in Irish only, by 1 March 2013.

It should be noted that my Department's approach has been to erect bilingual signage only. In addition, a number of agencies and bodies which come under my Department's remit either erect signage in Irish only or bilingually i.e. Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge and Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga. Therefore, the issue of replacing signage and associated costs does not arise in these cases.

Taking account of the fact that the relevant deadlines for replacing signs in the circumstances referred to by the Deputy are 1 March 2012 and 1 March 2013, I am advised that other State agencies and bodies which come under my Department's remit have not incurred costs to date on replacing signs nor have they compiled figures to date regarding the anticipated cost of such signage.