Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Traffic Act of 2004, as amended, sets out the current legislative basis for the setting of speed limits. The Act applies ‘default’ speed limits to different classes or categories of road and allows for local authorities to intervene and set ‘special speed limits’, within limitations, on roads in their area. The making of bye-laws to set 'special' speed limits is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority.

Since the previous speed limit review in 2013 and the publication of the current speed limit guidelines in 2015 there has been significant progress on the rollout of speed limits to urban centres, residential areas and housing estates. As part of Action 6 of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy, a review was undertaken to examine the framework for setting of speed limits in Ireland including specific recommendations on the introduction of a 30km/h default speed limit in urban areas. This introduction is currently being advanced through primary legislation and the statutory Guidelines for the Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland and will further improve the rollout of 30km/h speed to urban centres, residential areas and housing estates in Ireland. Collectively, this will assist local authorities to carry out their own speed limit reviews and pass bye-laws for 'special' speed limits, where appropriate.