87 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Transport the reason he has not set down a speed limit by way of primary or secondary legislation to dictate in all circumstances the maximum speed at which vehicles may travel over DBM base course where that surface is in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41660/06]

The maximum default road speed limits that apply to motorways, national roads, regional and local roads and to roads in built-up areas are set down in the Road Traffic Act 2004 as 120, 100, 80 and 50 kilometres per hour respectively.

This 2004 Act also provides that each county council and city council has power to intervene and, through the making of bye-laws, to apply a special speed limit from a range of values in lieu of a default speed limit at any location where the council deems that it is appropriate to do so. In addition, under a new policy measure introduced in the 2004 Act, a county manager or a city manager has power to make a roadworks speed limit order to apply a speed limit from that range of values at a location where roadworks are being carried out.