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24 Sept 2025
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24 Sept 2025
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Pictured: file photo
Laois County Council has admitted that there may be more delays to the implementation of safety measures outside a Laois school.
St Paul's NS in Mountmellick was awarded €50,000 in funding under the Safe Routes to Schools Programme in February 2O24. This scheme falls under the National Transport Authority (NTA)'s Active Travel fund.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Paddy Bracken recently tabled a motion requesting an update to the works due to be carried out at the school.
Pictured: St Paul's National School, Irishtown, Mountmellick. Photo: Google Maps
The Council's Roads Department replied that a draft plan is yet to be finalised, and explained that they may need consent from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to carry out required works.
"A draft plan for proposals at St Paul's is being finalised," The Active Travel section of the Council's Roads Department replied to Cllr Bracken.
"This may require consent from the TII given that the road is a National Secondary road. The active travel engineer will arrange to meet Cllr Bracken to discuss proposed interventions," they said.
Cllr Bracken was unsatisfied with this response, arguing that these works should have been carried out within the time that has passed.
"The school is on the N80, it's a very busy road and a very busy school too. It may require consent, but it urgently needs to be addressed," Cllr Bracken argued.
Pictured: The N80 into Mountmellick, adjacent to the primary school. Photo: Google Maps
"We all know that the N80 has a very busy section of road at that point, where it comes up to the junction. There is no reason as to why this work shouldn't be done, it should have been done before now," he said.
"I want to see this done, it is going on and on. The bottom line is, it must be done," Cllr Bracken finished.
This motion was seconded by fellow Fianna Fáíl Cllr Seamus McDonald.
The motion was tabled at a September sitting of Laois County Council's Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District.
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