David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the guidelines and protocols that he has issued to local authorities in respect of the provision of road safety signs and markings in the vicinity of schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12764/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The new Traffic Signs Manual was published in January of this year. The Traffic Signs Manual constitutes a direction given to road authorities under section 95(16) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 in relation to the provision of traffic signs, other than regulatory signs.

The Traffic Signs Manual provides details of the traffic signs which may be used on roads in Ireland, including their layout and symbols, the circumstances in which each sign may be used and the rules for positioning them.

The Traffic Signs Manual is available on my Department's website. Chapter 6 of the manual is titled "Warning Signs" and I refer the Deputy to Paragraph 6.17.5, which provides details of a safety sign to warn of the likelihood of encountering children on the road. This sign should be used where it is necessary, to warn that children will be crossing to go to a school or to a playground. Such signs may be supplemented by Flashing Amber Signals where it is deemed to be appropriate.

The markings which may be used outside schools are shown in Figure 7.26 of the Manual.

The options is also available to Road Authorities to provide Special Speed Limits in the vicinity of schools, including periodic speed limits which can be designed to apply and operate when children are arriving at and leaving a school. Advice on the use of such signs and on the options for combining warning and speed limit signs onto a single backing board are outlined in Paragraphs 5.16.22 to 5.16.28 of the Manual.