Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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334. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the second phase of the proposed speed limit changes will be introduced, including the introduction of a 30km/h speed limit in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45837/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Irish Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021 to 2030 ‘Our Journey Towards Vision Zero’ includes the primary aim of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads in half by 2030 and to achieve ‘Vision Zero’, zero deaths or serious injuries, by 2050.

To help achieve this aim, the Strategy included an action for a working group to be established to review the framework for the setting of speed limits and to give specific consideration to the introduction of a 30km/h default speed limit in urban areas.

Accordingly, this working group was established, and it comprised representatives from the City & County Managers Association, the Road Safety Authority, an Garda Síochána, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and the Department of Transport. Their work led to the publication of the ‘Speed Limit Review’ in 2023, which included a number of principal recommendations concerning speed limit reductions in the interest of improving road safety:

1. A reduction in the default speed limit on rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h.

2. The introduction of a 30km/h default speed limit in built-up and urban areas.

3. A reduction in the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100km/h to 80km/h.

The first phase, the change in the default speed limit on rural local roads from 80km/h to 60km/h, took effect nationally on 7 February 2025. This change affects approximately 82,000km of road — about 80% of all roads. Work is presently ongoing in respect of measuring the effectiveness of this speed limit change, in terms of reviewing traffic speeds and collision data on these roads, both before and after the speed limit change took effect. Whilst the results of this review will help inform future road safety improvements and future speed limit related matters, they will not impact on the proposed implementation of the second phase of the proposed speed limit changes.

It is intended that the second phase of speed limit changes, the introduction of a 30km/h speed limit in built-up and urban areas, will be implemented by way of ‘special speed limit bye-laws’, at this time, rather than by way of a change in the ‘default speed limit’. Accordingly, in respect of those roads in built-up and urban areas where local authorities propose to change existing speed limits, it will involve each local authority undertaking a statutory public consultation process and considering 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 built-up and urban areas will only be changed where a majority of the elected members vote to do so.

This approach of setting ‘special speed limit bye-laws’, to implement speed limit changes in urban areas, will allow local authority engineers, familiar with the roads and the local traffic conditions in their respective administrative areas, to review the existing speed limits, and to recommend changes to these speed limits, if appropriate, based on the procedures and the criteria set out in the ‘Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland’. It is recognised that the definitions of urban areas and built-up areas are difficult to define in legislation and it is more appropriate and expedient for this to be carried out by local authorities and local authority engineers. Furthermore, the period of statutory public consultation will provide an opportunity for all interested parties and stakeholders to engage with and make representations to the local authorities and the elected members on the proposed changes. This approach recognises and respects the positive and important role local authorities, and the elected members fulfil in setting speed limits in urban areas.

It is important that changes in limits are implemented logically, safely and accurately. The Department of Transport is ensuring this happens and that changes as they are implemented are credible, make a difference to road safety and are not brought into disrepute.

It is important to note that 30km/h speed limits have already been implemented across many built-up and urban areas nationally in recent years, including for example, Dublin City, Cork City, Limerick City, Galway City, Dundalk, and across the administrative area of Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council. Furthermore, there has been an extensive implementation of 30km/h speed limits in housing estates nationally, supported by funding from the Department of Transport. Therefore, this phase of speed limit changes in built-up and urban areas will build on the positive work that local authorities have already carried out in this area.

To assist local authorities with the process of setting ‘special speed limits’ in built-up and urban areas and the attendant bye-laws procedures, a working group is presently revising the ‘Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland’. Five regional workshops were held with local authorities during April 2025, for the purpose of communicating that the proposed speed limit changes in built-up and urban areas would be introduced by way of ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ rather than by way of a change in the default speed limit for built-up areas, and for the purpose of highlighting the proposed revisions to the ‘Guidelines’, together with the procedures to be followed, and the criteria to be considered by local authorities, in respect of setting speed limits in built-up and urban areas. The workshops also provided an opportunity to gather feedback from local authorities on the proposed ‘Guidelines’ for the purpose of improving the ‘Guidelines’.

It is expected that the ‘Guidelines’ will be finalised during the third quarter of 2025 and thereafter will issue to local authorities by way of a Departmental Circular, with a Ministerial direction to commence the process of reviewing existing speed in urban areas in their respective administrative areas, and to set appropriate speed limits in accordance with the 'Guidelines'. It is intended that the Department will make funding available to support local authorities in the implementation of the speed limit changes.