Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

90. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to detail the engagement he has had with local authorities regarding their involvement with the announced plan to lower speed limits in regard to alteration or replacement of currently installed speed limit signs. [44209/23]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 79 and 90 together.

The Speed Limit Review is a key deliverable in Phase 1 of the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021 - 2030. This action is now complete and the Review, which was published in September, looked at Irish experience to date, best practice internationally and is underpinned by extensive transport modelling.

The review was undertaken by a group of experts comprising officials from my Department, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), An Garda Síochána, National Transport Authority, the Road Safety Authority and Local Authorities.

The aim of the review was to consider current policy priorities while continuing to address the fragmentation and inconsistency of speed limits on roads all over the country. Solutions recommended seek to address this while seeking to optimise the road network and increase road safety. Key proposals include:

• Default speed limit on national secondary roads to reduce from 100km/h to 80km/h,
• Default speed limit for the network of local and rural roads throughout the country to reduce from 80km/h to 60km/h,
• Default speed limit on urban roads, which include built-up areas as well as housing estates and town centres, to reduce to 30km/h