By Sean Moriarty

Staff and parents from Knockanes National School are growing increasingly concerned at road safety measures near the Headford school.

At last week’s Killarney Municipal District meeting Kerry County Council officials and elected councillors were told of the growing problems at the school.

These include just eight parking spaces for 12 members of staff forcing some to park on a narrow road verge for the day.

School set-down and pick-up times are also a problem. Parents must contend with industrial traffic from a nearby quarry. The school currently has 65 pupils and this is expected to grow to 80 by 2024. A total of 45 different families attend the school.

“Dropping and collecting times make for chaotic scenes,” Leonard Moran, a member of the school’s Board of Management, told the meeting.

Principal Lucy O’Sullivan also aired her concerns saying "swift action towards a solution" was needed.

“These concerns around lack of parking and road safety are very much significant and warrant attention and swift action towards a solution so that our school can continue to progress and thrive in terms welcoming an increased enrolment, catering for pupils with additional needs and providing a safe and secure educational setting for each and every pupil that attends our school at present and into the future,” she said.

The deputation was brought by Cllr Niall Kelleher who lives in the area. He and several other councillors pledged to offer some of their annual budget allocations to the school so a solution can be found.

“The only solutions are to find a place for staff to park and a set down area outside the school,” he told the meeting.

Killarney area engineer said: “The ultimate solution is a car park but there are two issues, buying land and funding.”