Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on whether narrow, often pot-holed roads without footpaths should carry the same speed limit of 80 kph as that of dual carriageway arterial roads; and his plans to establish a lesser national default speed which would apply to all roads except where higher limits are permitted. [17293/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Traffic Act 2004 Act provides that a default speed limit of 80 kph applies to rural regional and local roads. The general speed limit of 60 miles per hour had previously applied to such roads since 1961 so the present default limit is almost 10 miles per hour lower than that. The 2004 Act permits the Local Authorities to make special speed limit bye-laws to apply a lower or higher speed limit in lieu of a default speed limit at any location on a regional road or local road where such is deemed warranted.

The decision to apply a special speed limit, including the application of a periodic speed limit at any location, is a matter for determination by each City Council or County Council. I have no function in relation to the timing of the imposition of special speed limits at any location.

I have no plans to amend primary legislation to revise the current speed limit structures to provide a default speed limit of less than 80 kph on rural regional and local roads.