John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a theme, which I heard many Deputies remark on at the outset of their contributions, that this is a topic that will be difficult for many, having lost loved ones through road traffic accidents or incidents. I am particularly conscious as the Minister, Deputy O’Brien outlined at the start of the debate that the number of fatalities in recent years has increased despite much good work which has been ongoing prior to now that has seen a significant reduction since the late 1980s through the introduction of the road-safety strategies. I commend the Minister’s comments earlier in the debate where he highlighted in particular the danger and increased threat of those driving under the influence of drugs and driving with excessive speed. I note the concern of some of the Members just before me but I feel communities welcome the reduction in the speed limit. These are measures that will go on to save lives and lead to safer travelling environments for all road users. I also welcome many of the measures and investments outlined at the outset of the debate by the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney as we enter phase 2 of the Government’s road safety strategy.

I would like to focus my commentary on one particular initiative introduced by the last Government which the road safety strategy said would be to the forefront of our efforts in road safety. The safe routes to school programme aims to ensure that children can safely get to and from school while also making a difference to congestion on our streets, the health of our children as well as helping achieve our emissions reductions targets. The programme aims to create suitable infrastructure to make walking, cycling and scooting a practical and safe choice for families. I expect the scheme continues to serve that aim and I welcome that the programme for Government commits to expanding the safe routes to school initiative. When the programme was launched some 932 schools applied to participate.

That is nearly a quarter of all schools nationally but over the three strands of the programme, we have seen that some 414 schools have been earmarked for participation. I recognise that is nearly 50% of all those that applied but I feel for those schools that applied but have not been included in the programme as of yet. It would be important to look in particular at those schools that are on national and regional routes and to try to prioritise them for implementation in the scheme.

We are advised that schools that applied will eventually participate but we all are familiar with schools on national and regional routes that are not yet involved in the scheme. In particular, like many other Members, I think of schools in my own community including schools by the N59 between Galway and Clifden where it is a very road, including one that I myself taught in for a number of years. There also is a particular campaign ongoing in Barna where the school is by the R336. There are a number of schools by the R336, which is the main route from Galway city to south Connemara. It is a very busy route. Those schools deserve to be able to make sure that the children attending those schools can do so while walking or cycling safely.

I tabled a parliamentary question recently to get some sense of how many schools that had entered the programme had seen infrastructural enhancements to meet the objective of the scheme. Unfortunately, the NTA has not been in a position to provide me with that detail yet, which is disappointing. I am concerned that the programme is not having the impact that was desired at its initiation. I speak with some insight. The school I myself worked in, which was included in the first phase of the scheme in 2021, as of yet has not had any work done under the scheme despite the fact that the funding has been approved and we need to review that. I get a sense that some local authorities are better and quicker than others in implementing the scheme. If we have the information, we should look at how they are able to do it and other local authorities are not. It may be down to staffing. It is a scheme that could increase the well-being and safety of children as they attend school. We should prioritise its implementation. It is clearly meeting challenges and reluctance as in some locations where works were proposed, they met resistance, which is disappointing.

I would like to think that we will enhance the scheme, give it a broader perspective and include maybe pedestrian crossings as well, rather than only front-of-school treatment.

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