Portlaoise residents complain about student shortcut and parental parking

Laois residents want to call a halt to the use of their housing estate as a set down carpark by parents.

Portlaoise residents in a housing estate next to St Mary's CBS and Scoil Chríost Rí secondary schools are demanding an end to "hundreds" of students using a shortcut. 

The Hermitage housing estate residents are concerned at their security due the increased use of the cul de sac public lane that leads to a farm.

They are also annoyed at parents for using their estate as a "unauthorised setdown" zone, and older school students who are parking there all day.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley tabled a motion to the May meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

"There is a gap on the boundary fence, it is being used as access by students. 

"I was contacted by two residents whose properties adjoin the lane. They have concerns about the amount of students there since the new bus stop. Literally all the students go down and get through the gap to the school grounds.

"Parents are pulling up in the Hermitage, it's become an authorised set down for the school. I saw two students walking out of the lane and getting into their own cars. It's not acceptable," she said.

She further claimed that "one elderly woman became a target".

"Her patio door was smashed in smithereens".

She asked the council to block up the gap, and wants the council to ask St Mary's CBS to do the same with the fence on their side.

Cllr Tommy Mulligan, a teacher, said he too was contacted and he spoke to the CBS principal.

"They can't hang a shelf without a goahead from their management company, it's the company you need to contact," he said.

He suggest something more "permanent" than replacing the gap, as well as putting signs up.

Cllr Marie Tuohy said that the girls' school also uses the gap.

"It's not actually a short cut, it's a habit. They have to walk the wrong way. It's become a meeting area as well. The houses backing onto the lane are affected by the noise and the rubbish. It is upsetting to have a door broken but I'd like to think that was an accident or tomfoolery," she said.

Laois County Council will now invite both schools and residents and "all stakeholders" to a meeting to find a solution.