Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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923. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will liaise with Transport Infrastructure Ireland to erect speed limits at an early date on the N72 road at approaches to Beaufort Bridge junction, as this area includes a heavy-trafficked junction adjacent to Beaufort village, a busy retail unit and a spur road junction just east of Beaufort Bridge, and given the increased tourist traffic and hazardous traffic conditions that already exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46720/15]

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 Kerry County 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 Kerry County 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 Limits in March last which are available on the Department's website . 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.

It should be noted that TII has engaged in a process of assessing the widths of all national roads and it will provide this information to local authorities. This will assist local authorities in the task of identifying the appropriate speed limits for different sections of national road (including the section referred to by the Deputy) in accordance with Departmental Guidelines.