Carlow-Kilkenny TD issues advice to local parents ahead of new school year

As children across Kilkenny go back to school this week, Green Party TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Minister Malcolm Noonan, is encouraging parents to plan ahead and reduce the number of cars around local schools by prioritising safe and sustainable school transport options for their children.

"There are many options available, including lift sharing or carpooling where possible, and if the school is in walking distance parents could organise a ‘walking bus’ or ‘bike bus’ among a number of families, which would pick up kids at designated meeting points along the route and allow them to walk, scoot or cycle safely and supervised to school," Minister Noonan said. 

"In saying this, I’m mindful of course that from a road safety perspective, there are many parts of the city that simply aren't safe for children to cycle," he added.

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"While I welcome the resurfacing works and the new improved cycle lanes on the Granges Road, which is outside two of the biggest schools in the city, Loreto Secondary and St Canice’s National School, unfortunately, while we still have Heavy Goods Vehicles trundling past these schools, we really can’t expect parents to feel confident that their children could cycle to school safely along this route," Mr Noonan admitted.

"Whatever the options for your school or area, I’m urging parents to plan ahead for what is going to be a busy return to school period and to work together with the schools (and the local authority where appropriate) to put plans in place to support safe, sustainable school transport, be that bus, walking bus, cycle bus, carpooling or other means."