‘€2m for speed limits is not enough to keep children safe’

A bereaved mother is pressing ahead with plans to lead a four-day Dáil protest next week over speed limits in housing estates because she believes €2m made available to local authorities to implement 30km/h limits is not enough to keep children safe.

Roseann Brennan’s six-year-old son, Jake, died after being knocked down by a car near his home in Lintown Grove, Kilkenny, last June. Determined that her son’s name and spirit would live on, she founded Jake’s Legacy and began a campaign to have residential safety issues addressed.

Ms Brennan wants Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe to enforce a 30km/h speed limit in housing estates and not leave it up to councils to decide.

Yesterday, the minister announced an allocation of €2m for local authorities to support them in implementing 30km/h speed limits in housing estates and residential areas.

Mr Donohoe had issued a circular to all local authorities last October asking them to review the speed limits in their area. It followed a number of meetings he had with the Jake’s Legacy campaign group.

“I have now set aside €2m that I am making available to local authorities who have identified a need for traffic-calming measures and a reduction in the current speed limit. This funding will be allocated to local authorities as they come forward with their proposals to implement the lower speed limit and introduce new measures,” said Mr Donohoe.

The minister said that following the review guidelines were being updated to facilitate greater use of the 30km/h speed limit in housing estates.

“I have said before that I see the increased use of a 30km/h speed limit in residential areas as a measure that will help to keep pedestrians, cyclists and children at play safe. I have been determined to ensure that local authorities address this issue.”

However, Ms Brennan, a mother-of-three who was honoured last December by the Road Safety Authority for her campaign, said the additional money was welcome but it would not be enough to implement a 30km/h speed limit in every housing estate.

She said she had written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny and a number of ministers, including Mr Donohoe, asking if they would make the 30km/h limit mandatory in every housing estate but had got no response.

“Introducing the mandatory 30km/h speed limit would cost a lot more than €2m but a child or adult’s life should come before any amount of money,” Ms Brennan said.

The round-the-clock protest will start at 1pm on Sunday, February 15, and continue until 6.25pm on Wednesday, February 18 — the time of day when Jake Brennan died.

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