Written answers
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Department of Health
Official Languages Act
9:00 pm
Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Health and Children 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. [7200/11]
Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Health and Children 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. [7215/11]
James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 355 together.
Regulations under the Official Languages Act 2003 sets specific responsibilities on public bodies to ensure that signs placed by it or on its behalf within or outside the State are in Irish or bilingual by the following dates:
| Type of Sign | Deadline Date |
| For new signs i.e. signs placed on any site on or after 1 March 2009 (Whether in place of older signs or not) | 1 March 2009 |
| For signs placed on any site before 1 March 2009 which would fulfil the requirements of the Regulations except there is an error in the Irish text | 1 March 2012 |
| For signs in English only placed on any site before 1 March 2009 | 1 March 2013 |
| For signs placed on any site that comply with the Regulations except the text in Irish is less prominent, visible or legible than the text in English or the letters in the text in Irish are smaller in size than the letters in the text in English | 1 January 2026 |
| For signs of any other class | 1 March 2013 |
No direct costs attributable to meeting the requirements of the Act in respect of signage containing errors in the Irish text or English only signs have been incurred to-date by my Department. Following the formal establishment of the Department of Children, arrangements will be made to amend my own Department's signage to reflect its amended title. All such new signage will comply fully with the requirements of the Act.
The cost incurred by the agencies currently under the aegis of my Department in replacing signs to ensure compliance with the Official Languages Act is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
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