Danger signs for Irish language

THE Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuiv, is to make regulations under the Official Languages Act 2003 for bilingual oral announcements, advertising and signage of pubic bodies.

This is a step towards the creation of a bilingual environment which will encourage the use of Irish. Draft regulations were published recently. However, they contain many faults.

There is no provision for traffic signs, even though signage is specifically mentioned in section 9 of the Act.

Road signage reflects a country’s self-image and influences public perception of the language.

All that is needed is a simple amendment to section 95 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 to provide that nothing in that section prevents the minister from making regulations on traffic signs.

Conradh na Gaeilge has drafted a bill to that end and the Government could make the necessary amendment in parallel with these regulations.

There is no provision in the draft regulation in relation to advertising, even though it is specifically mentioned in section 9 of the Languages Act.

Adverts are indispensable to public bodies communicating their message.

They should be displayed bilingually on outdoor billboards and a percentage of them published in newspapers and magazines should be in Irish. Conradh believes 20% to be appropriate.

The draft regulations contain a total exemption from bilingualism in relation to public bodies’ logos — ie, they may be in English only. A public body’s logo is fundamental to its identity and a logo in English only signifies that it is a cold house for Irish. This exemption must be removed.

The draft regulations contain a total exemption from bilingualism in relation to recorded oral announcements and stationery for use outside the State.

This exemption brands Ireland as a monolingual anglophone country. It contradicts the Government’s funding of the teaching of Irish throughout the world.

It disowns speakers and learners of Irish in the North and abroad and let’s down all Irish citizens. There are 25,000 people with a knowledge of Irish in the US, according to their last census.

This exemption must be removed. Under the draft regulations, the Irish version need not be as prominent or as legible as the English one on current signage before 2026. That is a ridiculous target date.

We understand these regulations need to be implemented over time, but 2026 is in the never-never, especially when one considers that signs showing speed limits were changed from miles to kilometres overnight.

The target date must be reasonable: 2011 at the latest.

We must all use our influence to ensure the necessary amendments are made to the draft regulations before they are signed into law.

Dáithí MacCárthaigh

Uachtarán

Conradh na Gaeilge

6 Sráid Fhearchair

Baile Átha Cliath 2