Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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310. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason his Department has decided to ignore the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 2024 in relation to a default 30 km/h speed limit in built-up areas; the reason his Department is instructing local authorities to implement 30 km/h speed limits by means of designating roads as special speed limit zones instead of introducing a national default 30 km/h speed limit in built-up areas as provided for in the legislation; the reason his Department has delayed the implementation of a default 30 km/h speed limit in the 85 currently defined built-up areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63721/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The ‘Speed Limit Review 2023’ advised “for built up and urban areas it is recommended that a default speed limit of 30km/h is introduced. A 30km/h limit should apply, for all urban centres, residential roads and locations where there is a significant presence of vulnerable/active road users.” Exceptions may be permitted as follows:

• “Pedestrian zones and shared space/zones where a speed limit of 20 km/h would apply.

• 50 km/h for National, Regional, arterial roads and key public transport routes.

• 60 km/h on Transition zones on National, Regional, arterial roads and key public transport routes.

• Urban arterial roads with a high design speed such as motorways, certain dual carriageways and roads with limited access where higher limits.”

Whilst the recommendation of the ‘Speed Limit Review’ intended that speed limit changes in built-up and urban areas would be implemented by way of the introduction of a ‘default speed limit of 30km/h’, it was subsequently recognised that this would be difficult to achieve in the short-term, as there is presently no definition of an urban area in legislation for the purpose of setting speed limits. Therefore, to introduce a default speed limit of 30km/h in all urban areas would first necessitate updated legislation, which would take an additional period of time, thus delaying the proposed implementation of speed limit changes in urban areas.

Furthermore, whilst the ‘Local Government Act, 2001’ has defined 85 built-up areas nationally, the Central Statistics Office has identified 867 urban areas nationally. A change in the ‘built-up area speed limit’ from 50km/h to 30km/h would only have an impact on 85 of the 867+ urban areas nationally and therefore ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ would still be required for the remaining 782+ urban areas.

Additionally, with respect to the 85 built-up areas, their boundaries were defined and mapped by the relevant local authorities, in advance of the enactment of the ‘Local Government Act, 2001’. In many cases the mapped built-up area boundaries are no longer reflective of, or consistent with, the extent of the actual built-up areas. This is due to ongoing development over the past twenty-five years, such as new commercial and residential development etc., which has expanded the built-up areas. In such instances ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ are required to ensure appropriate speed limits are set on the roads in these expanded built-up areas.

It is important to note that irrespective of whether the default speed limit in built-up areas is 30km/h or 50km/h, there would still be a need for ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ on certain roads within these areas. For example, in the case of a default built-up area speed limit of 30km/h, the adoption of ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ would still be necessary in order to set the appropriate speed limits on roads in pedestrian zones and shared spaces, and on certain national, regional and arterial roads within an urban area.

Furthermore, in the case of a default speed limit of 50km/h, ‘special speed limit bye-laws’ would still be required on roads in pedestrian zones and shared spaces, on certain roads in residential areas, and on roads in the ‘urban core’, i.e. those roads where there is significant and regular interaction with vulnerable road users.

On the basis of the foregoing, the proposed speed limit changes in built-up and urban areas will be implemented by way of ‘special speed limit bye-laws’, rather than by way of a change in the ‘default speed limit’, at this time. The default speed limit for built-up areas will therefore remain at 50km/h at this time.

Accordingly, in respect of those roads in built-up and 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 built-up and urban areas will only be changed where a majority of the elected members vote to do so.

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 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, and with due regard to the procedures and the criteria set out in the ‘Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland’.

Furthermore, the period of statutory public consultation will provide an opportunity for members of the public and all stakeholders to engage with the process and to make representations to the local authorities and the elected members on the proposed speed limit changes.

It is important to note that 30km/h speed limits are not new, they have already been implemented on many roads in built-up and urban areas nationally in recent years, including for example, Dublin City, Cork City, Limerick City, Galway City, Dundalk, and on such roads across the administrative area of Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council.

Furthermore, there has been extensive implementation of 30km/h speed limits in housing estates in many local authorities nationally over the past ten years, 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.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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311. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated percentage reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on the roads by changing default speed limits in built-up areas from 50km/h to 30km/h, based on available data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63722/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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It should be noted that the default speed limit for built-up areas remains at 50km/h at this time. Last month, I issued a direction to Local Authorities to commence a review of their urban road networks with a view to increasing the number of 30km/h zones, where this lower speed limit is appropriate and in accordance with the statutory Guidelines issued by my Department. These changes will be made at the discretion of Local Authorities, respecting their devolved powers, rather than by legislative default.

Lowering speed limits is part of the Safe Systems approach at the heart of our Road Safety Strategy. The aim is to reduce speeds to safe, appropriate levels for the roads being used and the people using them. The human body is vulnerable to collisions at high speeds, even when travelling in a motor vehicle. Cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists are even more vulnerable, and at even lower speeds.

Research commissioned by the RSA indicates that approximately 5% of pedestrians hit by a vehicle travelling at 30km/h will be killed. By contrast, this risk increases to 29% of pedestrians when struck by a vehicle travelling at 50km/h. The safer urban speed limits to be introduced by 30km/h bye-laws in the current implementation phase of the Speed Limit Review will contribute to a safer urban environment for all road users.