Vol. 461 No. 6
6 D'fhiafraigh Mr. Flood den Aire Comhshaoil céard iad na céimeanna atá tógtha aige le cinntiú go bhfuil na hÚdaráis Áitiúla ag cloí leis na treoirlínte a heisíodh ar an 30 Meán Fómhair, 1994, maidir le síneacha tráchta. [2586/96]
8 D'fhiafraigh Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Comhshaoil an bhfuil aon staidéar déanta ag an Roinn ar an gcleachtas agus an dlí sa Bhreatain Bheag maidir le Béarla agus Breathnais a bheith ar shíneacha tráchta; agus an bhfuil i gceist aige cleachtas mar é a chur i bhfeidhm sa Stát seo. [2585/96]
12 Miss Quill asked the Minister for the Environment if he intends to lay down official standards for signposting on non-national roads; and his views on whether poor signposting contributes to accidents and also causes considerable problems for the increasing number of tourists who are driving in this country. [3375/96]
43 D'fhiafraigh Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Comhshaoil an bhfuil i gceist leasú a dhéanamh ar Alt 95 den Acht um Thrácht ar Bhóithre, 1961, le dearbhú go mbeidh gach sín tráchta nua a chuirfear ar fáil ag Údaráis Áitiúla agus ag an Údarás um Bóithre Náisiúnta dátheangach, agus le cinntiú go mbeidh an Ghaeilge agus an Béarla ar comhchéim orthu, leis an nGaeilge in uachtar i gceantracha gurb í an Ghaeilge príomhtheanga an phobail agus an Béarla in uachtar i gceantracha gurb é an Béarla príomhtheanga an phobail. [2588/96]
48 D'fhiafraigh Mr. Doherty den Aire Comhshaoil an bhfuil i gceist aige reachtaíocht a thabhairt isteach le feidhm reachtúil a thabhairt do na treoirlínte a eisíodh ar an 30 Meán Fómhair, 1994, maidir le síneachta tráchta; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [2587/96]
54 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for the Environment the action, if any, he proposes to take to ensure immediate improvement in road signage in Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the serious difficulties being encountered with bilingual signs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19250/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 8, 12, 43, 48 and 54 together.
Overall responsibility for the provision of traffic signs on the national road network is a matter for the National Roads Authority. Responsibility for signposting on non-national roads is a matter for each local road authority.
Following a review of the policy and practice relating to the use of both Irish and English in traffic signs, a circular was issued to all road authorities on 30 September 1994, setting out revised guidelines relating to the use of Irish on traffic signs. For the first time, it was directed that all new information signs not depicting place names must display text in both languages. Bilingual signs must display the Irish text in italics above the English text which must be in Roman letters. Under section 95 (16) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 the guidelines in the circular have the force of law and I do not envisage that further legislation or regulation would improve the position.
I have no proposals to amend the present arrangements as set out in the circular. These arrangements were introduced following both a review of the practice applied to bilingual signs in other European countries, including Wales, and consultation with An Grupa Stiúrtha for Irish in the local government service.
There is no evidence to suggest that there is a specific link between signposting and road accidents or that our signing system creates undue difficulties for tourists generally.
A comprehensive traffic signs manual is being prepared by my Department for use by road authorities. This will set out the standards required for all types of road signs. I am confident that will lead to significant improvements in traffic signing generally.
Does the Minister agree that the proliferation of signs and the ad hoc way they are placed along roadsides give rise to a great deal of confusion? It is important that proper design procedures are adopted by his Department for transmission to local authorities. Will the Minister request local authorities to be sympathetic towards small private sector developers who are consistently frustrated by local authorities in their efforts to erect well designed directional signs, particularly for bed and breakfast accommodation in rural areas? I understand local authorities frequently refuse to allow such operators erect signs at appropriate strategic locations. While I accept they must conform to certain standards along the lines set out in the Minister's circular, will he direct local authorities to be more sympathetic towards small self-employed operators who are frustrated in their efforts to erect signs, even those funded by themselves?
There are three types of statutory sign, information, regulatory and warning. The type of sign mentioned by the Deputy would fit into the category of information signs for tourist destinations or bed and breakfast premises. I am aware from people in County Wexford of the concerns that may arise from a proliferation of such signs. A large number of them can be unsightly. They are also dangerous on main traffic routes because people can become distracted by them. We must strike a balance. Many local authorities accept finger post signing of set dimensions, proportions and coloration. A balance must be struck between the commercial needs of small operators and road traffic requirements and determination in that regard is best made at local authority level. The regulations and legislation allow discretion to be applied sympathetically, if necessary, while at the same time maintaining the priority of road safety.
Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghlacadh leis an Aire as ucht an freagra a thug sé. Ach dáiríre caithfidh mé a rá nár fhreagair sé na ceisteanna. Ar an gcéad dul síos an nglacfadh an tAire leis go bhfuil go leor údarás poiblí nach bhfuil ag comhlíonadh na dtreoirlínte atá leagtha síos ag an Roinn? Má deireann an tAire go bhfuil feidhm dlí leis na treoirlínte seo cad tá i gceist ag an Aire a dhéanamh chun a chinntiú go bhfuil na treoirlínte sin curtha i bhfeidhm?
Freisin ba mhaith liom a fhiafraí den Aire cad tá i gceist aige a dhéanamh maidir leis an gcur amú ullmhór airgid atá i gceist i gcuid mhaith de na húdaráis áitiúla a chuireann suas comharthaí Gaeilge nach bhfuil bunús ar bith leo ó thaobh na teanga de agus a thagann salach go hiomlán ó thaobh leaganacha de ar na treoirlínte atá leagtha síos. Mar shampla tá comhartha curtha suas i gContae Mhaigheo in aice liomsa le gairid.
Cuir ceist, led' thoil.
Tá mé ag iarraidh a mhíniú don Aire cad tá i gceist agam go díreach mar bhí fadhb ag an Aire Stáit a thuiscint go baileach inné cad a bhí i gceist agam. Níor mhaith liom go mbeadh mí-thuiscint ann.
Ar an gcomhartha seo ar thaobh amháin tá "Inis Mhic an Trír" agus ar an dtaobh eile den chomhartha céanna tá "Inis Mhic an Thrír", rud nach bhfuil aon chiall leis.
An bhfuil i gceist ag an Aire na treoirlínte seo a chur i bhfeidhm? Deir sé go bhfuil trí chineál chomhartha ann. An comhartha eolais é go bhfuil bóthar dé-bhealach romhat nó nach ea? Tá siad sin ag dul suas chuile áit sa tír i mBéarla amháin.
I confirm what I stated in my reply. The regulations have the force of law under section 95 (16) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961. The guidelines in the circular are mandatory and binding on road authorities. If the Deputy has specific instances in mind, I will examine them. If he believes a road authority is not complying with the statutory regulations he should alert my Department and we will discuss the matter directly with the road authority concerned.
In regard to specific signs, in particular, place signs, under the regulations the only place names that will appear on signs in Gaeltacht areas are the leaganacha Gaeilge den ainm.
In his reply, the Minister said there was no connection between poor signs and road accidents. Will he explain the basis on which he made that statement? Surveys in the United Kingdom demonstrate that where there has been improved road signage there has been a significant reduction in the number of road accidents. People in the United Kingdom claim that good road signage is an important information and safety feature. If that applies there, I fail to understand why it would not apply here. Despite the regulations, our signage system is very unsatisfactory. It is not unusual, particularly in summer months, to see a car driven by a tourist stopped on a roundabout holding up traffic while the driver tries to read a sign and his co-pilot a map.
Will the Minister accept that, despite the regulations, our road signs system is very unsatisfactory? I urge him to go back to the drawing boards, as he did in the case of the county roads, and put in place at national level a blueprint for road signs which could then be implemented on a local authority basis. The system is unsatisfactory from the point of view of road safety, tourism and the motorists who contribute a great deal of money every year to the Exchequer by way of taxes.
No specific link has been brought to my attention between particular accidents and bad signposting but I accept that signposting is essential in a comprehensive, safe traffic management plan. On the last occasion I answered questions in the House I outlined a number of initiatives I intended taking in relation to the whole area of road safety, one of which was drafting a comprehensive traffic signs manual which is well under way. That will be issued to every local authority and it will bring about a degree of uniformity in respect of the signs erected by local authorities, particularly local road authorities. The national primary roads are the responsibility of the National Roads Authority. I indicated previously to the House that the NRA embarked last year on a multi-annual sign improvement programme. It started on the N1 and N2 during 1995 and it will continue on the other national primary routes in the coming years to improve not only signposting but road marking because it is equally important that there is clear delineation in the lines painted on roads. All these measures are part of the ongoing work to improve road safety.
We may not have specific details of how this problem has contributed to accidents but I have no doubt it has definitely caused some marital problems on occasions. Our road signs are not satisfactory. A number of days ago I attended a funeral which the Minister's colleague also attended. Myself and three others travelled together and we noticed that the signs on both the motorway and the minor roads were appalling. Some of them were old, bent, dirty and badly illuminated. In comparison with road signs in other countries they are a joke and something must be done about them. In some countries road signs are sponsored by oil companies. The company logo is usually small and discreet and the signs are clearly visible. Will the Minister consider the possibility of allowing road signs to be sponsored by private companies?
Something is being done about the difficulty to which the Deputy referred. The National Roads Authority is upgrading signs and road markings on a route by route system. On the question of sponsorship, the local authority of which I was a member accepted sponsorship from a motor firm, Mazda, to sponsor road signs on the non-national roads. That is open to them if they wish to do so.
Will the Minister consider making a regulation that all signs, regulatory, information or place names, would be bilingual, the only difference being that the Irish would be an uachtar in the Gaeltacht while the English would be an uachtar in non-Gaeltacht areas. The present system leads to the ridiculous belief that people from non-Irish speaking areas never visit the Gaeltacht while those from the Gaeltacht never manage to make their way out of the reservations to the non-Irish speaking areas. In addition, it does not take account of the Irish speakers living in various areas throughout the country. In Wales, all the road signs are statutorily equal in both languages. Will the Minister consider, in a country with two official constitutional languages, passing a regulation that all signs without exception would be bilingual on that basis?
I indicated previously to the Deputy that there are three types of signs. They are information signs which, by regulation, are now bilingual; regulatory signs which, by and large, do not have any text——
They do have text. Has the Minister ever seen a "road works ahead" sign?
——and warning signs on which it is possible to have bilingual text. Road signs is the only matter on which we seem to have a difficulty but I must bear in mind the advice I am given in relation to traffic safety. I am considering the matter but if putting "yield right of way" and "géil slí" on the same sign is confusing and causes an accident, we must take that into account. I will consider the proposal made by the Deputy. The only area not covered at present under the regulation is in relation to warning signs but if I can change the regulation and make billingual signs compulsory without impacting on traffic safety, which is my main consideration, I will certainly do that.
Has the Minister ever travelled in Wales and, if so, did he find the road signs there particularly dangerous? Does he find that the case when he travels on the Continent?
The Minister always holidays at home.
He goes to Sellafield.
I normally holiday in the sunny south-east but I have travelled in Wales. I do not read Welsh and, therefore, do not understand Welsh signs.
All the signs are bilingual.
I believe we should have bilingual signs as far as possible. That is the recommendation of the Groupa Stiurtha which is already in force in law under the regulations with the one exception being warning signs. I have already indicated to the Deputy that I will again reflect on making warning signs bilingual. My Department has gathered evidence on road signs not only from Wales but from Finland and other countries. If I can be convinced that it will not have any adverse effect on road safety, I will certainly do as the Deputy asks.
