Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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812. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider making funding available to local authorities for the specific purpose of carrying out countywide speed limit reviews, as local authorities are not prioritising these reviews while inappropriate speed limits apply at very dangerous locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3945/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Road Traffic Act 2004 established default speed limits that apply to defined categories of roads. These limits may, however, be amended by the Elected Members of local authorities by means of Special Speed Limit Orders, and Section 9 of the 2004 Act sets out the range of special speed limits available to local authorities for that purpose.  

To assist in setting Special Speed Limits, my Department issued Guidelines for the Application of Special Speed Limits to all local authorities in January 2011 and the onus is on all local authorities to take the Guidelines them into account when setting special speed limits.

The Speed Limits Review which I published on the 21st November 2013 contains eighteen actions which are designed to address a number of matters relating to the operation of speed limits on Irish roads.  I have accepted all the recommendations contained in the Report, which will be implemented over a two year period.  

I have made provision in 2014 to fund various action points in the Speed Limit Review report. However, it is not envisaged that this would extend to the financing of speed limit reviews by local authorities as such an exercise is considered to be part of their normal responsibilities.