Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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218. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consult with Transport Infrastructure Ireland on plans to review the speed limits on national roads in the environs of Galway city, in particular the low speed limit on the N17 at Cappanabornia near Galway racecourse, on which many vehicles have been caught for speeding. [41918/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​Any proposed alteration of the existing speed limit applying to the stretch of road in question is a matter for Galway City Council in the first instance.

While the Road Traffic Act 2004 sets default speed limits for national roads (both within and outside built up areas), local authorities, in this case Galway City Council, may, in consultation with the Garda Commissioner and with the consent of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII,) make bye-laws to set Special Speed Limits for such roads in their administrative areas.

To assist local authorities in the application of Special Speed Limits, I launched my Department's updated Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limitsin March last which are available on the Department's website www.dttas.ie. These Guidelines reiterate that the making of Special Speed Limit bye-laws is a matter for the elected members of local authorities, subject to following Department Guidelines and to the consent of TII in the case of national roads.

At the time of the issuing of these Guidelines, local authorities were requested to review and update all speed limits in their administrative areas in accordance with the Guidelines and this is currently ongoing. In the case of national roads, local authorities were requested to undertake this review in conjunction with TII.