Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills 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 required by 2012. [7195/11]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills 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. [7210/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.

Under Section 9(1) of the Official Languages Act, 2003, Government Departments must comply with the Regulations made by the then Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs to ensure that signs are provided in Irish only, or in English and Irish, in accordance with specific criteria set out in the Regulations.

The Regulations come into effect over a period of time. In this regard, all new signs placed on any of my Department's sites since 1 March 2009 are in compliance with the Regulations.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, an inventory of all signs will be undertaken to determine new signage required in respect of (a) signs placed on any Department site before 1 March 2009 which would fulfil the requirements of these Regulations except where there is an error in the Irish text, (b) signs placed on any Department site before 1 March 2009 which are in English only (c) signs placed on any Department 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.

The deadline for compliance for signs at (a) above is 1 March 2012, at (b) above 1 March 2013 and (c) above is 1 January 2026. My Department is not in a position to anticipate the costs to implement the legislation until the inventory has been completed.

With regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department, the expenditure incurred in respect of signage is an administrative matter for each agency. Agencies have been notified of their statutory duty and a further reminder will issue nearer the date for compliance.