Pricy school pencil bollards at Laois school bypassed by parking parents

Expensive bollards installed outside a Laois school to make it safer for children walking in, have failed to stop parents who are still parking cars up on the footpath.

The pencil bollards at Scoil Mhuire NS in Abbeyleix were hailed as “fantastic, very safe” by Cllr John Joe Fennelly after they were installed in 2023.

However the Fianna Fáil councillor now reports that more safety measures are needed again.

"We still have parents parking on the paths on either side of the pencil bollards.

"This request came from the Parents Association,” Cllr Fennelly confirmed.

He tabled a motion to the March meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, asking Laois County Council for double yellow lines and “other safety measures if required” outside Scoil Mhuire, Abbeyleix.

The council replied that it will carry out the road marking works adjacent to the entrance of the school, which is on the Ballyroan road in Abbeyleix.

Cllr Fennelly asked if the road marking can be done while the children are on their fortnight’s holidays.  

Cllr Barry Walsh seconded the motion.

"I’m not sure where cars can park, there’s no facilities in fairness to them,” he noted.

The coloured pencil style bollards were funded by the national Safe Routes to School Programme in conjunction with An Taise and the National Transport Authority.

To date 526 schools nationwide have received the scheme, at a total cost of approximately €50 million invested to date, averaging nearly €95,000 per school.

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It covers not just bollards but extra facilities making it safer for children to walk, bike and scoot to school such as pedestrian crossings and tactile painted road markings. The aim is also to decrease traffic problems at schools and encourage healthy exercise. 

The schemes are also installed in other schools in Laois.

They include St Patrick's and St Joseph's boys and girls schools in Mountmellick, The Heath NS, Rath NS, Wolfhill NS, Emo NS and St Fiacc’s NS in Graiguecullen.