Mayor of Killarney Municipal District, Councillor Martin Grady, has successfully passed a motion at the recent meeting of Killarney Municipal District calling on the Department of Education to prioritise the development project at St. Oliver’s National School, Ballycasheen.

The motion past with support from fellow Councillors with no objections to request the prioritisation.

The motion follows the recent announcement by the Department of Education of 105 schools that are to be included in the upcoming two-year National Development Plan programme, with St. Oliver’s National School among those listed.

Councillor Grady has requested that Killarney Municipal District formally write to the Department seeking that the school be prioritised for the timely delivery of the overall project. He stressed that the development must include the provision of additional parking and dedicated drop-off and pick-up facilities.

St. Oliver’s National School is one of the largest schools in the region, with more than 700 pupils and over 100 staff members attending the Ballycasheen school each day. The lack of sufficient parking and proper drop-off and pick-up facilities around the school has created serious congestion during peak times.

Councillor Grady warned that the current situation is both unsafe and unfair for everyone involved.

“As a parent who drops children to the school myself, I see first-hand the chaos that takes place every morning and afternoon,” said Councillor Grady. “There is gridlock, double parking and simply nowhere safe to drop off children. The situation has become extremely difficult.”
He noted that there have already been a number of minor accidents at the location, along with many near misses, raising serious concerns for the safety of pupils, staff, parents and local residents.

“It is unsafe for the children, unsafe for the parents who are trying to drop them off, and unsafe for the staff who work there. It is also very unfair on local residents who are dealing with this level of congestion every day,” he said.

Councillor Grady emphasised that he has raised this issue on several occasions and is again urging the Department of Education to treat the matter with urgency.

“With over 700 pupils and more than 100 staff attending the school daily, proper infrastructure must be put in place. I am calling on the Department to prioritise St. Oliver’s National School, Ballycasheen, in the two-year National Development Plan programme and ensure that additional parking and a safe, dedicated drop-off and pick-up facility are delivered as part of the project.”

The motion was supported at the meeting, and Killarney Municipal District will now write to the Department of Education requesting that the project be progressed as a priority.