asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether any change has taken place in the policy of the Executive Council regarding the Irish Language, and, if not, if he will state (a) why the provision of Section 68 of the Railways Act, 1924, dealing with the Irish language is not being given effect to by the Great Southern Railways Company; (b) why in the recently rebuilt stations of Dunlavin, in County Wicklow, and Lucan North, the national language has been completely ignored in the erection of notices and signs; whether he is aware that there is not a single station throughout the country where any action has yet been taken to give effect to the Minister's statement on the matter on the 19th January last; if he will state (c) when he will have completed his examination of the ticket scheme which he had under consideration in January last; (d) why the Gaelic League received no reply to a letter addressed to him on the 25th May, 1926, concerning this matter; and (e) whether there is any carriage on the Great Southern Railways in which a bilingual notice appears, although the renovation of carriages takes place the whole year round.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - IRISH LANGUAGE.
The answer to the first part of the question is that no change has taken place in the policy of the Executive Council regarding the Irish language.
To part (a), that the provisions of Section 68 of the Railways Act, 1924, are being given effect to by the Great Southern Railways Company.
To part (b), that I am having inquiries made as to the position at Dunlavin and Lucan North Stations and will send the Deputy the result as soon as received.
To part (c), that the Gaelic League forwarded me on the 25th May an allegation to the effect stated in the question, and that on 29th June I replied to the League that the allegation was contradicted by the list of 27 stations furnished to me by the Company at which bilingual notices had already been provided.
To part (d), that the question of printing passenger card tickets for journeys in the Saorstát in both Irish and English has been pressed forward as rapidly as is consistent with a reasonable conclusion. Section 68 of the Railways Act, 1924, provides that this shall be done unless it would jeopardise the standard revenue and result in increased rates and fares. A satisfactory form of ticket has been produced, but I am informed by the Company that its cost represents an increase of approximately £1,600 per annum, or 121 per cent. on the past expenditure. I am at present having this figure investigated to see if the cost cannot be reduced.
To part (e), that the letter from the Gaelic League dated 25th May, 1926, was replied to on 29th June, 1926.
To part (f), that the Company informs me that notices are provided in some of the passenger carriages used on the line of a type to which the provisions of the Act may be considered to apply, but the renewal of these notices does not necessarily arise when the vehicles are passed through the shops. The space available in such cases may not admit of the exhibition of bilingual notices in a suitable form, and the question of removing all or some of them, therefore, is under consideration. Meantime, notices in both Irish and English do not appear generally in the carriages.