Local authorities will have powers to overrule moves to reduce speed limits on many roads, the Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety has said.

It emerged this morning that the Government aims to cut speed limits on roads right across the country in response to the surge in road deaths this year.

Some 127 people have already died on Ireland's roads this year - 23 more than at the same time last year.

Under the plan:

• The speed limit on rural and local roads is to drop from 80km/h to 60km/h
• In urban and residential built-up areas, the default limit will reduce from 60km/h to 30km/h
• For national secondary roads, the speed limit will fall from 100km/h to 80km/h

Limits on motorways, national primary roads and regional roads will remain unchanged.

Junior Minister Jack Chambers told Newstalk Breakfast that local authorities will be able to set different limits in certain circumstances.

“There'll be discretion with good design and safety standards that speed limits can be revised upwards by local authorities in terms of local, rural and national secondary roads," he said.

"That's the broad framework and we have to set the default speed limits.

"I think bringing a safer baseline will improve road safety, but it's a devolved function then of local authorities to implement that as it's appropriate."

Government aims to cut speed limits on roads right across the country in response to the surge in road deaths this year.

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— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) September 6, 2023

'Fragmentation of speed limits'

Minister Chambers said this is part of a long-running review.

"We've had a speed limit review which has been undertaken for the last couple of years," he said.

"It'll bring radical changes to end the inconsistency and fragmentation of speed limits across our road network.

"Rural and local roads, which are about 85% of the network, have 75% of the fatalities on our roads.

"They're the very narrow country roads, we get feedback from many people that the speed limit on many of these roads are inappropriate".

'A safer baseline'

Minister Chambers said there will be input from local authorities.

"Within that though there'll be discretion with good design and safety standards that speed limits can be revised upwards by local authorities in terms of local, rural and national secondary roads," he said.

"That's the broad framework and we have to set the default speed limits.

"I think bringing a safer baseline will improve road safety, but it's a devolved function then of local authorities to implement that as it's appropriate."

A speed limit sign in July 2012. Picture by: Robert Maynard / Alamy Stock Photo

Minister Chambers said the changes are about striking a balance.

"What we're focusing here on is the roads, in the first instance, that cause many of the fatalities, and secondly in very urbanised areas where we've a high number of pedestrians and cyclists," he said.

"So, this is about striking a balance.

"Another immediate measure, which I'm working with [Justice] Minister McEntee on is about strengthening enforcement of our existing framework.

"That's something we're very keen to do."

Minister Chambers said the Government and Gardaí are on the same page.

"We're all on the same page around really strengthening enforcement across our road network.

"That provides a clear role in terms of deterrents, and behavioural change is key and that's why we want to strengthen that as well," he added.

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Main image: Minister of State Jack Chambers arriving at the Convention Centre Dublin for a Dáil session in July 2020. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo/Brian Lawless