National speed limit review puts a halt to Mayo changes

Speed limits cannot be changed in Mayo until the Government’s national speed limit review is concluded.

Mayo Co Council executive engineer Orla Bourke informed local councillors of the news at a recent meeting of Ballina Municipal District.

Independent Councillor Mark Duffy put forward a motion calling on the municipal district to reduce the speed limit on the Killala Road to 60km/h approaching the entrance to the new Culleens National School to improve safety. The speed limit there is currently at 80km/h.

Ms Bourke told Cllr Duffy that executive engineer Declan Ginnelly sent her a memo stating that “a countywide speed limit review has been suspended pending a Government decision on national speed limits”.

The Government is conducting a national speed limit review following a rise in fatalities on Irish roads in 2023. New proposals to lower speed limits by 20km/h were brought to Cabinet recently. The changes would see speed limits on national roads go from 100km/h to 80km/h, while local and rural roads throughout the country would be reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h. Urban roads would reduce to 30km/h, arterial roads and radial routes around urban settings would be set at 50km/h, and there are no proposed changes to the speed limits on motorways and national primary roads.

Cathaoirleach of the district, Cllr Seamus Weir, described the current suspension of limits as “crazy” and said it makes his “blood boil”. He said while the increase in road fatalities was very sad, it should not suspend the speed limit review in Mayo.

Cllr Weir said it makes sense to impose a blanket limit of 50km/h on all roads adjacent to schools.

Cllr Duffy asked if there are any proposals for traffic calming measures outside the new Culleens NS. Ms Bourke said there was no proposal in place, adding that the school is located beside a local road, which may be reduced to 60km/h after the national speed review.