The Government is finalising new regulations that will force 642 public bodies in future to produce Irish versions of all their advertisements in a move that will costs millions of euro a year.
Aer Lingus, which has one of the biggest advertising budgets in the State, has expressed serious concern, saying the provision was not something with which it can live.
Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív has confirmed to The Irish Times that he plans to introduce the regulations under the Official Languages Act. The bodies will include all Government departments. Many already adhere to the requirement, however semi-States and companies such as Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and the ESB will also be obliged to do so.
The Official Languages Act requires public bodies to provide a minimum level of Irish services to the general public, including the publication of major reports in Irish. It also requires correspondence with Irish speakers when requested. Over the next number of years, each public body will be asked to come up with a plan outlining other services they will provide in Irish.
Department of Gaeltacht Affairs officials have sought advice from the Attorney General on drafting the regulations. No date has been fixed for their introduction.
Mr Ó Cuív said they would be reasonable and bodies would be able to comply by placing similar advertisements in Irish media outlets. "We're being sensible about it, and were not putting mindless costs on anybody," he said.
An Aer Lingus spokesman said the costs involved were "not a small amount of money".
"We are in a competitive environment, we are operating to commercial realities and so we're almost unique in the State sector," he said. "This is not an anti-Irish language issue for us, it is far from that, but it is an issue that ends up adding to our costs, and not our competitors."
The Department of Social and Family Affairs is one of the first to produce estimates for the legislation and has set aside €500,000 to cover the costs of adhering to the basic elements of the Act, such as ensuring that all major documents and forms for the general public are in Irish and English.
The department is also one of 25 public bodies finalising plans required under the Act outlining what services it will provide to the public in Irish over the next three years. Initial requirements of the detailed plan is expected to bring the department's annual bill to more than €1 million.
Mr Ó Cuív has also said he has no plans at present to use powers under the Act to require that all official maps carry Irish-only versions of placenames in the Gaeltacht.
The Minister said he would only issue orders for maps on a one-by- one basis, if there was an overwhelming demand from local residents.
He hoped that the use of English versions of many Gaeltacht areas would decline to an extent that they were no longer required on maps.