New bye-law proposed for Kildare region due to safety concerns
A county councillor has suggested that a new bye-law be put into place in order to improve safety in one northern Kildare region.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Naoise Ó Cearúil made the comments while in attendance at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting, which took place on Friday, July 7.
He put forward the following motion before Kildare County Council (KCC) at the meeting: "That the council reduce the speed limit from the county boundary on the Moyglare Road to the Maynooth Education Campus to 50 kilometres per hour to fall in line with the rest of the road and in the interest of safety."
Labour Party Cllr Angela Feeney seconded his motion.
KCC said in response to Cllr Ó Cearúil: "As part of the countywide speed limit review, the speed limit on Moyglare Road (L1012-0) between the county boundary and the junction with the Kilcock Road (R148) was proposed to be reduced to 50 kph.
"The process ended in July 2022 when the Full Council voted to reject the Countywide Speed Limit Draft Bye-Laws."
However, Cllr Ó Cearúil was not satisfied with this.
Elaborating on his point, Cllr Ó Cearúil told a representative of KCC who was present at the meeting: "I do not accept the council's report; this (motion) is trying to do something sensible, there are safety concerns here.
"I believe we should introduce a bye-law in relation to this matter, we need to get real here."
He added: "I don't think I'm being unreasonable here, and I think anyone who has gone down to see the area would agree with me."
Cllr Ó Cearúil found support in Green Party Cllr Peter Hamilton, who said that there was 'obvious, clear change' needed for the area, as well as Fine Gael Cllr Brendan Weld, who remarked: "It's just common sense."
Independent Cllr Pádraig McEvoy pointed to KCC's point that the bye-laws were voted against by councillors.
"In my opinion, that decision was calamitous, and has impeded our decision=making now. We are in a limbo position right now, and we will stay there until people understand the position we are in."
The councillors agreed to put the matter on a progress report, and it was further agreed that KCC's roads department would take another look at legislation in relation to potentially creating a new bye-law for the area.