While the Road Traffic Act 2004 sets default speed limits for national roads (both within and outside built up areas), local authorities may, in consultation with the Garda Commissioner and with the consent of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), make bye-laws to set Special Speed Limits for roads in their administrative areas.
Under section 9 of the Act, local authorities have the necessary statutory powers to provide for Special Speed Limits outside of schools if they deem such limits to be appropriate and necessary. A Special Speed Limit may also include a periodic speed limit which can be designed to apply and operate at specified periods, for example when children are arriving at, or leaving a school during term time.
To assist local authorities in the application of Special Speed Limits, my Department's Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland, published in March 2015, provides detailed guidance on the application of Special Speed Limits outside of schools and is available to all local authorities. These Guidelines reiterate that the making of Special Speed Limit bye-laws is a matter for the Elected Members of local authorities, subject to following Department Guidelines and to the consent of TII in the case of national roads.
At the time of the issuing of these Guidelines, local authorities were requested to review and update all speed limits in their administrative areas in accordance with the Guidelines and in the case of national roads, in conjunction with TII. This work is currently on-going.
As with determining Special Speed Limits, local authorities are also best placed to determine the suitability of cyclist and pedestrian access for each of the schools in their areas. The Deputy will be aware that my Department, through its funding of the Green Flag scheme, assists schools in encouraging appropriate use of cycling and walking in schools.
