asked the Minister for Local Government if he intends to maintain the present speed limit at 60 m.p.h. on all roads.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - General Speed Limit.
225.
The general speed limit of 60 m.p.h. applies to roads which are not otherwise subject to speed limits. In September last, after receiving from An Foras Forbartha the findings of a study carried out by them of the effectiveness of the general speed limit during its first six months of operation, I decided to retain the limit and to have its effectiveness studied for a further period. I requested An Foras to continue their study of the measure and to co-ordinate this study with international studies of a similar nature being organised by OECD as part of the 1971 OECD International Co-operative Road Research Programme. As I announced at that time, I will re-examine the question of the general speed limit in the light of the results of these further studies.
Could the Minister give any information about what the practice is in most European countries? Do they have an overall speed limit?
That is a separate question. Some countries do operate maximum speed limits on specified roads and there are different maximum limits.