Reduction of speed limits in residential areas necessary to ensure safety of children, cyclists and pedestrians – Fitzpatrick

Fine Gael TD for Louth, Peter Fitzpatrick, has welcomed the directive issued by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, requiring all local authorities to examine speed limits in residential areas and housing estates.

“Minister Donohoe has contacted all local authorities, including Louth County Council, directing them to review the speed limits in residential areas and in housing estates. This decision comes after meeting with members of the Jake’s Legacy Campaign, a campaign being run by the family of Jake Brennan who died tragically earlier this summer outside his home.

“It simply does not make sense to have speed limits of 50km/h in highly populated areas. We need speed ramps, lower limits and traffic calming measures to ensure the safety of children, cyclists and pedestrians in these areas. It is recommended that housing estates should have a 30 km/h speed limit, but a Department of Transport survey has found that this is the case in less than 2% of housing estates outside of Dublin.

“There are many estates and small communities in Co.Louth. In Dundalk and Drogheda in particular, thousands of people are living in housing estates and a large number of these estates are used as rat runs during morning and evening rush hour so people can avoid traffic congestion. This often means that a high volume of traffic is moving at high speed through densely populated areas. As we know from Jake’s case, this can have devastating consequences.

“I commend Minister Donohoe for making this move. I would encourage local people to take part in consultations with the local authority in order to secure the safety of everyone living in these areas, especially young children.”