Efforts to encourage four Dublin local authorities to increase speed limits on a number of major roads have met with near-total failure.
Last May, the Department of Transport, working on reports from the AA and Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), identified 43 locations across the State where it claimed speed limits seemed to serve no obvious purpose. Of these 26 were in the Dublin area.
At the time, the then Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said these limits "harm the general acceptance of the penalty points system".
The SIMI and AA identified several areas for change in Dublin City Council and Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown county councils.
In a reply, Dublin City Council's executive manager, Mr Tim O'Sullivan, said road traffic engineers "in general" recommended that no changes be made. "The one area of doubt would be the Naas Road where a 30 mph limit was introduced associated with the Luas. This is a new situation and should be monitored before any change is made," he said.
The AA and the SIMI had suggested raising the limit from 40 mph to 50 mph from Donnybrook Garage to the Belfield fly-over. Denying the request, the local authority said: "There are also weaving movements at Belfield interchange and very heavy right turn movements at Nutley Lane and Anglesea Road."
The AA/SIMI's desire for a 40 mph limit on St John's Road West was rejected by the City Council, because of the number of accidents there. "There is a significant level of activity in front of Heuston station, including pedestrian movements, taxi manoeuvres and a Luas crossing," it said.
Fingal County Council has, however, agreed to delay the start of a 40 mph zone on a slip lane to the M1/Airport interchange.
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council dismissed all applications bar one: the R118 Sallyglen Road from the Deerhunter to the Graduate. Offering to increase the limit to 40 mph, it said the 30 mph limits on the roundabouts at both ends would have to remain.
The limit on Braemor Road would have to stay: "(It) is not, in fact, a straight road and it should be noted that numerous accidents have occurred at the bend of Landscape Gardens as a result of excessive speed."
Dismissing the plea for higher limits, the county council said: "We have not received adverse comments on our speed limits or any requests from the public seeking any increase in speed limits on any of our roads. On the contrary we receive, on a regular basis, numerous complaints and correspondence about excessive speed on our roads."
The 30 mph limit on the Dundrum bypass and the 60 mph limit on the M50 between Scholarstown to Ballinteer were equally defended by the local authority.
Newtownpark Avenue should remain a 30 mph zone because "excessive speed has been the cause of several accidents in the past, with a fatal accident occurring recently".
The letters from the local authorities were released to Dublin South TD, Ms Olivia Mitchell, in response to her queries to the Department of Transport.