Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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31. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the reduction in the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100km/h to 80km/h will be implemented as recommended by his Department in the Speed Limit Review in 2023. [2760/26]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Following the introduction of safer default speed limits on rural local roads in February 2025 and the publication in October 2025 of updated guidelines to guide the rollout of 30km/h zones in urban areas, the third phase of the proposed speed limit changes concerns the reduction in the default speed limit on national secondary roads from 100km/h to 80km/h.

While the Road Traffic Act 2024 has made legislative provision for this change, this has not yet been commenced, as a further legislative change is required to ensure that local authorities will be permitted to set a special speed limit of 100km/h on certain national secondary roads, where they meet the criteria specified in the ‘Guidelines’. This is being addressed by way of updated legislation to be included in the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2025.

The General Scheme of this Bill was approved by Government on 15th April 2025 and it is now with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for drafting. The NVDF Bill is a priority for publication in the current legislative term. Enactment, subject to Oireachtas scheduling, is targeted for the first half of 2026. Following the enactment it is the intention to progress the safe roll out of the third phase of speed limit reductions on national secondary speed limits.