Written answer
Road Safety
360. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Transport if Meath County Council has drawn down any of the €20 million made available for the procurement and installation of road safety signage; the amount they have drawn down to date over the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38940/26]
Comment on this
For 2026, as yet, there has been no allocation of funding to local authorities for the procurement and installation of speed limit signage for the implementation of the built-up and urban area speed limit changes.
In October 2025, my Department issued a circular directing local authorities to:
• confirm their initial estimate (pre-statutory public consultation) of the number of poles, signs, and periodic speed limit signs, they would require to implement the necessary changes, no later than 25th February 2026.
• conclude the adoption of special speed limit bye-law process no later than 30th October 2026.
• install all new poles and signs in advance of the new speed limits effective date, to ensure implementation of all urban speed limit changes by 31st March 2027.
Local authorities have been advised that the Department of Transport will confirm the grant that is to be made available to them, once they have confirmed the numbers of poles, signs, retention sockets, road markings, and periodic speed limit signs, that they will require following the conclusion of the bye-law process.
As regards the total funding allocated to and drawn down by Meath County Council by grant type for the past five years, details of the regional and local road allocations and payments to local authorities are outlined in the regional and local road allocations and payments booklets which are available on the Oireachtas Digital Library. The 2026 allocations booklet will be lodged shortly.
Full details of the 2026 regional and local grant allocations are available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/press-releases/ministers-for-transport-announce-over-15-billion-for-national-regional-and-local-roads/.