Bereaved mum to lead four-day Dáil protest over housing estate speed limit

A mother whose son died after being knocked down by a car near his home will lead a four-day Dáil protest next month to emphasise the need for mandatory 30km/h speed limits in housing estates.

Roseanne Brennan’s six year old son, Jake, was playing outside his house in Lintown Grove, Kilkenny, last June when he was hit by a car.

Determined that her son’s name and spirit would live on, Ms Brennan founded Jake’s Legacy and began a campaign to have residential safety issues addressed.

She was honoured last December by the Road Safety Authority for her safety campaign.

Ms Brennan said the round-the-clock protest would start at 1pm on Sunday, February 15, and continue until 6.25 on the following Wednesday, February 18 — the time of day when her son died.

She wants the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe, to enforce a 30km/h speed limit in housing estates and not to leave it up to the local councils to decide.

“It is obvious from the number of children killed in housing estates that the speed limits need to be reduced,” said Ms Brennan.

Her concern is that if the fixing of speed limits is left to the councils then the speed ban will not be reduced to 30km/h in every housing estate.

Mr Donohoe has met with representatives of Jake’s Legacy on five occasions since coming to office last July — the most recent meeting took place before Christmas.

Last October the minister told local authorities to review residential estates with a view to reducing speed limits to 30km/h and erecting appropriate signs.

Those reviews are now being examined.