Galway Bay fm newsroom - Re-arrangements to speed limits that will come into effect throughout the county in February, may cost hundreds of thousands of euro.
Periodic speed limits were proposed as the best option at many county schools, but councillors were told at a meeting this week, that these would be very expensive.
Councillor Noel Thomas said there are serious concerns about safety at the Tullykyne Primary School in the Moycullen area.
He said flashing lights would be effective at that location.
There is a periodic speed limit with flashing lights at either side of the Baile Nua school, west of Moycullen.
Tooreena School on the Moycullen to Barna road has a similar system and Councillor Thomas said Tullykyne should be the same.
Councillor Peter Roche highlighted the situation at the Milltown Primary School in north Galway where, he said, added measures were vitally important.
Councillor Niamh Byrne that flashing lights may be out of order sometimes and this has happened at one side of the Baile Nua school just now.
Director of Roads Services, Jim Cullen explained that it costs €15,000 to install lights at any one school with maintenance costs on top of that.
This, he said, would put a huge strain on the county council's budget.
Councillors from Connemara and from the Ballinasloe Electoral Area have expressed criticism of Transport Infrastructure Ireland over the absence of speed restrictions at two locations.
Efforts to bring in a 50 kilometres speed limit at Maam Cross in Connemara and at the Clonlyon Bridge east of Ballygar in north east Galway failed because this would not be in conformity with the Transport Infrastructure Ireland regulations.
Maam Cross is on the N. 59 road and Clonlyon Bridge is on the N. 63 road. Both of those roads are classified as national secondary roads where reductions in speed limits come under the ambit of Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
That meant that the only limitation that can be put on speed at these two location is 80 kilometre an hour.
It was agreed that an approach would be made to Transport Infrastructure Ireland to see if any further limitations could be imposed.
