Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Before I continue, I will praise the great work that Mairéad Forsythe of the Love 30 campaign has done in bringing focus to this issue. This has been done elsewhere. Belfast and Edinburgh have both made a decision to reduce speed limits from 30 mph to 20 mph, which would be the equivalent of 30 km/h in "old money", as they say. Both cities have seen major positive effects. There has been a 23% drop in the number of fatal collisions, a 33% drop in serious casualties and a 37% drop in minor casualties. This reduction has a real impact.

What happens when someone in an urban environment comes into contact with large metal boxes travelling at speed? The lower the speed, the safer that person is. It has a huge impact on active travel as well. Unless he is into cycling Twitter, the Minister of State will not have come across the term “must get in front” or MGIF. It refers to the driver. Even though cyclists will get past the next traffic light quicker than drivers will, drivers still believe they have to pass out cyclists out each time. This creates a very aggressive environment for active travel, cyclists in particular. It is a matter that can be addressed.

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