Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2006
108 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport his position in relation to a proposal from one local authority to erect road signs in languages other than Irish or English; if this requires legislative amendment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9082/06]
View answerThe National Roads Authority forwarded a proposal to my Department on 28 February 2006 that the authority had received from Laois County Council. Since 1996 the Traffic Signs Manual has contained a "Drive on Left" warning sign displaying a symbol depicting a vehicle being driven on the left-hand side of a road altogether with the text "Drive on Left" in English, French and German languages. The proposal that Laois County Council has drawn up consists of a variation of this warning sign that would display text in English, Polish and Czech languages. Warning signs are non-regulatory traffic signs and local authorities can only provide such signs on public roads that comply with directions given by the Minister for Transport pursuant to section 95(16) of the Road Traffic Act.
The merits of the proposal for the new sign are being examined in my Department at present in consultation with the National Roads Authority, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Garda Síochána. I await the outcome and recommendations of the consultation process. If an appropriate format of a new warning sign emerges from this process it would be then up to me to give a direction to road authorities in relation to its provision and use on a national basis.
