Kildare councillors to seek legal advice regarding Jake’s Law

Councillors involved in the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District (MD) agreed to seek legal advice regarding the implementation of Jake’s Law.

The motion was brought up at the most recent MD meeting, held on the morning of Friday, December 2, by Fianna Fáil Cllr Naoise Ó Cearúil.

The legislation is named after Jake Brennan, a six-year-old who was tragically knocked down and died in Kilkenny in 2014 after being hit by a car in his home estate.

It was previously heard at a full Kildare County Council (KCC) meeting that the relevant Speed Limit Bylaws Review was rejected.

Cllr Ó Cearúil said that he wished to 'detangle' the Law from the county’s Speed Limit Bye-Laws.

"I do not see any reason why we can’t enact Jake’s Law in this county, and within the MD," he told those in attendance: "We should go ahead and enact it."

Cllr Ó Cearúil added: "The fact that we have been talking bout this since 2014 is, to be frank, a little embarrasing.

"Unless we get a satisfactory answer (from KCC) about why we can’t enact it, then I propose we take a vote on it."

His sentiments were agreed upon by Fine Gael Cllrs Brendan Weld and Tim Durkan, with the latter saying: "I don’t like this suggestion that in some estates, it is the law, but isn’t in other estates."

Independent Cllr Pádraig McEvoy added that while he would not be against a vote, there is a procedure in place in which they could look at the issue, adding: "Our MD is not a republic."

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Green Party Cllr Peter Hamilton said that while he agreed that there was a 'statuory process' in place, he said that he was certain that the councillors in the MD 'have a choice' to enact the Law in the near-future.

A representative for KCC told members that they are currently discussing the matter with the Department of Transport, and that he too wishes to 'detangle' the county Bye-Laws in order to make implement Jake’s Law in the MD.

When Cllr Ó Cearúil once more said he saw no reason why they could not pass the Law, this prompted laughter from Cllr McEvoy. Cllr Ó Cearúil appeared to take issue with this, asking him: "Why are you laughing?"

After Cllr Ó Cearúil was told that KCC still had to look into ways they could implement the law, he changed his vote, and called on the MD to seek legal advice on the matter.

His amended vote was overwhelmingly agreed upon.