John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

538. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the progress of the publication and distribution of information to local authorities providing guidelines on the reduction of the speed limit in urban cores, which include built-up areas as well as housing estates and town centres to 30km/h; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21127/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A 'working group' comprising representatives from the local authorities, An Garda Síochána, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority, and the Department of Transport, completed draft updates to the 'Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland'. The purpose of these updates are to provide additional guidance to local authorities with respect to the procedures to be followed, and the criteria to be considered, when setting special speed limits of 30km/hr in urban areas.

Four regional workshops were held with local authorities during April 2025 for the purpose of communicating the updates to the ‘Guidelines’, and also to provide local authorities with an opportunity to review and provide feedback to the 'working group' on the updated 'Guidelines'. The fifth and final workshop, as part of this series of workshops, is due to be held in the Dublin at the end of April 2025.

Following the final workshop, it is intended that the 'working group' will reconvene during May to consider feedback received from the local authorities, and then update and finalise the 'Guidelines'. It is expected that the updated 'Guidelines' will issue to the Minister following this review. Subject to the Minister's approval, the 'Guidelines' will then issue to the local authorities to commence the process of setting ‘special speed limits’ in urban areas.

It is important to note that speed limit changes in urban areas will be introduced by way of ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ initially, rather than a change in the ‘default speed limits’, as there is no definition of an ‘urban area’ for the purpose of setting speed limits in the ‘Road Traffic Act 2004’. Accordingly, in respect of those roads in urban areas where local authorities propose to change existing speed limits, it will be necessary for each local authority to undertake a statutory public consultation process and consider all representations, in accordance with the requirements of the ‘Road Traffic Act 2004’, as amended.

As the making of ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ is a reserved function, the speed limits on roads in urban areas will only be changed where a majority of the elected members vote to do so. It is therefore important to note that the proposed implementation of speed limit reductions in urban areas will not necessarily have the same go-live date across all local authorities. Instead, the rollout of these speed limit reductions will likely be on a phased basis over a number of months and will be subject to the conclusion and outcome of the bye-law process in each local authority.