Tipperary County Council and all local authorities are to review streets in their areas by the end of the Summer to allow for lower speed limits to be put in place by the end of this year.
The Minister responsible for Road Safety Jack Chambers is anxious that all Councils deliver the changes at the same time.
The government hopes to pass legislation by the end of March and will allocate funding of €15M for Transport Infrastructure Ireland to install new road signage nationwide.
Under new laws, speed limits will be lowered to 80kmh on national secondary roads, 60kmh on local and rural roads, and 30kmh in town centres and housing estates.
Arterial roads and radial routes around urban settings will be set at 50kmh.
Local authorities will have discretion to revise speed limits upwards where it is safe to do so. 184 people died last year in road accidents, an increase of 29 compared to 2022 – there have been three fatalities to date this year.
Some local councillors and TDs have already expressed opposition to the proposal for lower speed limits saying it will not be enforced and in some cases may make roads less safe for road users.
