The decision by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, to rename Dingle could be overturned by councillors and local opinion, it emerged last night.
In a letter yesterday to members of Kerry County Council, Independent Senator Joe O'Toole said councillors could use the 2001 Local Government Act to block Mr Ó Cuív's ambitions.
Under the Official Languages Act, Dingle's name changed to An Daingean on Easter Monday - though few if any road signs have been changed by the National Roads Authority.
But the Local Government Act, brought in by Noel Dempsey when environment minister, could let councillors insist on the return of the old name.
The change has provoked serious annoyance in the west Kerry town, which is heavily dependent on tourism.
In his letter, Sen O'Toole said Mr Ó Cuív wanted to use Section 32 of the Official Languages Act "to railroad through place-name changes against the wishes of a majority of the residents".
However, this section of the Act is "subservient to Part 18 of the Local Government Act, 2001", which gives local authorities the power to decide on place-names, once local plebiscites are held.
He said it was not clear what would happen if the council changed the name back to Dingle.
"The legislation is silent about how this might be resolved, but I believe the Local Authority Act would take precedence and that the decision of the council taken after a local plebiscite, as required by the Act, would win out. For that reason, I would request you to consider initiating such a process through a motion for the next council meeting."
Condemning Mr Ó Cuív, Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae said: "There is no way in the wide earthly world that this is going to stand, that Dingle's name should be lost forever."
FG Cllr Séamus Fitzgerald will put the proposal before next month's council meeting.
