€65m on Irish road signs

rawn

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/green-light-for-plan-to-make-road-signs-more-irish-29736922.html

– the National Roads Authority (NRA) has just spent €65m re-signing the road network – the new ones may be used when needed.

Mr Varadkar has asked the NRA to consider using them on a trial basis, but new regulations must be passed before they can be put in place.

Existing road-sign legislation stipulates that priority must be given to English place names.

"I like the new design and I do think there should be parity between Irish and English where it matters, like road signs that people see every day," Mr Varadkar said. "But it's a bit like an election poster – it's only when you put it on a road and drive past that you really know whether it works.

"I have been in touch with the NRA and they are considering putting up a few signs on a trial basis to see what people think. These would be new signs that have to go up anyway so there would be no additional cost involved."

If it goes ahead, it means that road signs will be compliant with the Official Languages Act for the first time.

Julian de Spainn, from Conradh na Gaeilge, said the idea was first mooted a number of years ago, but the last government wasn't keen.

"It's about the language. All these things make a difference. We teach children about the importance of language, and they go outside and see that English is more prevalent on road signs. It differentiates us from other countries, too, which can only be a good thing for tourism."

The NRA said it was an "interesting proposal" and while it did have bilingual signs, it "looked forward" to implementing the idea.

"This initiative is being proposed by the minister and Department of Transport, and we look forward to their direction on it," a spokesman said.

Does anyone else see this as a massive waste of time and money? I still cannot understand why we cling to this dead language so fiercely. We live in a country where people either speak both Irish and English, or just English. We don't need Irish translations everywhere. Don't get me started on the pointlessness of mandatorily teaching it in schools :rolleyes: Surely it's time we stopped fighting to keep the Irish language relevant?

Madam

Oh no, not this old chestnut again - it's getting boring:mad:

Shenshen

€65 million....

As a driver, I have to say I wish they spent that money on decent road signs (as opposed to writing instructions on the roads) and invested in some reflective paint so you could still see the road markings in the dark and rain.

Different priorities, I guess. Language first, safety second.

SEPT 23 1989

65 million would be better used on starting to build the new National Children's Hospital

sbsquarepants

The man makes a good point though - every single person in this country who could make any sense of a road sign as gaeilge, could also understand it as bearla. Makes zero sense to spend €65m insuring they can understand it in 2 languages.
Also, am I the only one who thinks spending €65m on something we MAY use if needed and even then only if the law is changed to suit - is the work of a fúcking imbecile!

rawn

If the money had to be spent to replace damaged or confusing signs, fair enough, but simply just to put Gaeilge on them? What's Irish for priorities?

Driveby Dogboy

thats a bit irish

Mint Sauce

Didn't they only replace alot of the signs in the last few years?

biko

That money could have been better spent on...





me!

wazky

Sure who needs signs when everybody knows where they are going?

They are only of use to dem forgienders, coming over here reading our signs.

While no signs will be replaced in the short-term – the National Roads Authority (NRA) has just spent €65m re-signing the road network – the new ones may be used when needed.

It's for future signs, not for replacing the existing ones.

There is editing worthy of the Independent in the OP.

Driveby Dogboy

they should have the distance in Irish in miles, and the english in kilometers

though i dont know should it be the statute mile, or the Irish mile

CrazyRabbit

Roads signs need to be short. Long signs or confusing signs take away drivers attention from the road for too long.
We do not need signs with road names in Irish. It is completely and utterly pointless and offers zero benefits.
The ONLY exception would be in regions were Irish is the primary spoken language.

Capercaille

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

65 million would be better used on starting to build the new National Children's Hospital

Billions wasted on social welfare would help also.

Sheldons Brain

Marvellous how people who wish to exterminate Ireland as anything other than an appendage of England find something to post about. Cromwell would be proud.

rawn

Deleted User wrote: »

It's for future signs, not for replacing the existing ones.

There is editing worthy of the Independent in the OP.

Is it better or worse that €65m was spent on signs that we don't need right now?

K-9

Local town council here spent a fortune on new signs for tourist purposes, look nice but cost €100's of thousands. Then they wondered why they got no backing from the public when they tried to stop the scrapping of the council.

Iwasfrozen

Sheldons Brain wrote: »

Marvellous how people who wish to exterminate Ireland as anything other than an appendage of England find something to post about. Cromwell would be proud.

Oh whist, that's not what this is about and you know it. We already had bilingual signs.

kneemos

Most of them are already way too small and cluttered.Adding Irish would make them. Indecipherable.

Madam

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Oh whist, that's not what this is about and you know it. We already had bilingual signs.

As we do in Scotland but on any Scottish forums I visit there's hardly anyone who complains about the signs - why do the Irish have this need to belittle the langauge they started out with?

humanji

Would this be a case of them having x amount of money budgeted this year that they have to spend, otherwise it'll be reduced next year?

Anyone

The new signs will display the distance to pubs to allow people to easily follow the directions they receive from locals.

humanji

Madam wrote: »

As we do in Scotland but on any Scottish forums I visit there's hardly anyone who complains about the signs - why do the Irish have this need to belittle the langauge they started out with?

Are people all belittling the language or questioning the waste of money?

Muise...

If for nothing else, Irish language signs should be preserved as the last refuge of the skinny Tironian et, ⁊ which has been replaced everywhere else by the more voluptuous ampersand &. (of course, this shouldn't be quite so expensive.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tironian_notes

/writernerd

Gmol

humanji wrote: »

Are people all belittling the language or questioning the waste of money?

Bit of both, it's a shocking waste of money though,
I would love to see a referendum on whether Irish should remain compulsory in schools

Iwasfrozen

Madam wrote: »

As we do in Scotland but on any Scottish forums I visit there's hardly anyone who complains about the signs - why do the Irish have this need to belittle the langauge they started out with?

It's not about the language. The new signs are ugly and it's harder to see the English name. The money is a complete waste too.

Muise...

Gmol wrote: »

Bit of both, it's a shocking waste of money though,
I would love to see a referendum on whether Irish should remain compulsory in schools

ha, because referenda are dirt cheap to run. :pac:

rawn

Gmol wrote: »

Bit of both, it's a shocking waste of money though,
I would love to see a referendum on whether Irish should remain compulsory in schools

Same. But then of course, if we got rid of the Irish language, we'd have to commission new road signs purely in English. Wonder how much that would cost? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Gmol

Muise... wrote: »

ha, because referenda are dirt cheap to run. :pac:

cheaper than 65million on signs

Iwasfrozen

rawn wrote: »

Same. But then of course, if we got rid of the Irish language, we'd have to commission new road signs purely in English. Wonder how much that would cost? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Don't replace them, just wait for them to be replaced naturally.

keith16

considering putting up a few signs on a trial basis to see what people think. These would be new signs that have to go up anyway

We're putting them up on a trial basis but we have to put them up anyway....WTF?

SV

As someone said on facebook

"The new signage would be brought in on a replacement basis- the average roadsign lasts 15 years. Therefore no extra cost to the taxpayer"

I don't see the problem with it.

keith16 wrote: »

We're putting them up on a trial basis but we have to put them up anyway....WTF?

They mean that new signage has to go up regardless, whether it's this new format or not is yet to be decided.

rawn

keith16 wrote: »

We're putting them up on a trial basis but we have to put them up anyway....WTF?

Surely making 10 signs and putting them up would be a trial basis, rather than €65m worth?! What if they don't work? It's like the e-Voting system all over again, not enough forethought on their part costing the taxpayer millions

Iwasfrozen

SV wrote: »

As someone said on facebook

"The new signage would be brought in on a replacement basis- the average roadsign lasts 15 years. Therefore no extra cost to the taxpayer"

I don't see the problem with it.

As has been said they're ugly, cluttered, garish and it's harder to see the English name.

rawn

SV wrote: »

As someone said on facebook

"The new signage would be brought in on a replacement basis- the average roadsign lasts 15 years. Therefore no extra cost to the taxpayer"

I don't see the problem with it.



They mean that new signage has to go up regardless, whether it's this new format or not is yet to be decided.

They're making new road signs en masse 15 years in advance then?

seanin4711

Typical
Troika only out the door and here we go again!

runawaybishop

rawn wrote: »

Surely making 10 signs and putting them up would be a trial basis, rather than €65m worth?! What if they don't work? It's like the e-Voting system all over again, not enough forethought on their part costing the taxpayer millions

They haven't spent 65million of these new signs that have equal irish/english. They spent 65 million previously on signage.

While no signs will be replaced in the short-term – the National Roads Authority (NRA) has just spent €65m re-signing the road network – the new ones may be used when needed.

These signs wont cost us anything extra as they will just be used to replace signs as they require replacing.

razorblunt

rawn wrote: »

If the money had to be spent to replace damaged or confusing signs, fair enough, but simply just to put Gaeilge on them? What's Irish for priorities?

Príomháideacha?

I may have totally made that up.

Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste. I may also have made that up.

Skid X

Conradh Na Gaeilge wrote: »

It's all about the language

That sums up their blindness

No interest in how these new signs might impact on Road Safety, or confuse drivers, or are a waste of money.

Someone in the NRA should stop and consider that there are more important issues than paying lip service to a single issue lobby group.

bkelly86

From reading the op, my understanding is that €65 million was spent on the signs currently in use.

rawn

runawaybishop wrote: »

They haven't spent 65million of these new signs that have equal irish/english. They spent 65 million previously on signage.

While no signs will be replaced in the short-term – the National Roads Authority (NRA) has just spent €65m re-signing the road network – the new ones may be used when needed.

These signs wont cost us anything extra as they will just be used to replace signs as they require replacing.

My understanding of that is... they just spent €65m on new signs? And they confused drivers even more by cramming Irish all over them, without testing out a few signs first.

runawaybishop

rawn wrote: »

My understanding of that is... they just spent €65m on new signs? And they confused drivers even more by cramming Irish all over them, without testing out a few signs first.

"just" means over the last few years and the current signs are what is legally required. The proposed signs will require no extra expenditure and will require a change in the law to become legal.

Mint Sauce

Deleted User wrote: »

It's for future signs, not for replacing the existing ones.

There is editing worthy of the Independent in the OP.

So this money is basically being ring fenced. If it must go towards NRA projects, what not on the N4 between Colloney and Carrick on Shannon, one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the West/North West of Ireland, if not the country.

Cool Mo D

Mint Sauce wrote: »

So this money is basically being ring fenced. If it must go towards NRA projects, what not on the N4 between Colloney and Carrick on Shannon, one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the West/North West of Ireland, if not the country.

No. The €65 million has already been spent, over the last few years, in putting up new signs.

There is no new money being spent on Irish language signs.

The proposal in the article is for a new design of sign that will make the Irish names more prominent BUT they will not be going up all over the country any time soon BECAUSE there has been €65 million spent on signs recently.

When these signs do go up, it will be when the current signs need replacement sometime in the future.

K-9

seanin4711 wrote: »

Typical
Troika only out the door and here we go again!

What has the troika got to do with it? You'd swear they were some type of horsemen of the apocalypse for government spending.

SV

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

As has been said they're ugly, cluttered, garish and it's harder to see the English name.

I find it being in a different colour makes it easier to see the English name, rather than it just being in ALL CAPS.

Defiler Of The Coffin

Good lord, the roadsign in the article is horrible, gives me a headache looking at it. I'm in favour of retaining the Irish placenames on the sign but there's absolutely no need to make them more 'prominent', smacks of Gaelige-fascism that does absolutely nothing to promote the language, hopefully someone in the department will see sense and abandon this!

Iwasfrozen

SV wrote: »

I find it being in a different colour makes it easier to see the English name, rather than it just being in ALL CAPS.

Wait til you're driving past at night with your yellow head lights reflecting off the yellow letters.

The Backwards Man

I'd rather see €65m spent replacing the NRA with something that has more braincells to utilise. Like a brick.

SV

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Wait til you're driving past at night with your yellow head lights reflecting off the yellow letters.

We don't know what that will look like yet, so it seems a bit silly to state that's why it's harder to read, no?
Also, my headlights aren't yellow, not even close.

kneemos

Heard an interview with someone from the NRA on the radio about what roadsigns cost about the years ago. Couldn't believe the numbers he was claiming.Those big roundabout signs with the twin support posts cost 40,000 apparently...Mindblowing.