Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the Senator's matter as drafted does not provide the level of detail which he has just provided, which detail is always important, I would appreciate if he could pass on his notes to me later. I know from my experience at local government level for many years that there are always issues in regard to taking in charge, etc.. The local authority needs to be certain it will not ultimately be held responsible for obvious defects and in this regard needs to sort out all of the issues before taking roads, etc., in charge. As stated by the Senator, this is not an issue for the Department of Education and Skills but more appropriately the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. However, local authorities cannot simply wash their hands of the need to address safety issues, which in this instance happens to relate to a school but could well be in relation to access to a housing estate and so on.

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, who thanks the Senator for raising this matter. In regard to sites for new school provision, of which many have been built owing to the increase in our population, which is good for all of us, there are a range of factors which are taken into account in assessing the suitability of a particular site, including safe access, traffic management and mobility issues. Considerations include safe circulation on the school grounds, such as appropriate provision for school buses, pedestrian and bicycle access, staff and visitor parking, car set down and pick up provision and also safe access to the grounds.

With regard to the site layout and road safety provisions, safety in accessing the school by road can be improved by managing the traffic away from the routes used by schoolchildren, promoting diversity of modes of transport to reduce vehicular congestion and the provision of traffic calming measures. I acknowledge this is not always possible where there is only one entrance to a school. Access roads to school sites are governed by the planning requirements set by the local authority. This is the situation regardless of whether or not the road is subsequently taken in charge by the local authority or remains in the ownership of the third party on whose lands it has been constructed.

As part of the planning process, the design team engaged to design the school site layout consults with the relevant local authority. It is a matter for the relevant local authority as part of the statutory planning process to set out its requirements in relation to the provision of appropriate road safety measures. In most cases, the preplanning consultations would identify issues such road signage or traffic calming measures which the local authority might require to be incorporated into the design and construction of the access roads. Like the Senator, I am surprised this was not done in this instance. In those instances, the Department of Education and Skills would take the requirements of the local authority into account when making the application for planning permission for the project. Similarly, where a local authority conditions certain elements of a road design or additional infrastructure to deal with health and safety concerns or to facilitate pedestrian or cycle access, the Department would, in all instances, comply with such conditions.

In regard to the Senator's concerns about the health and safety of a school community he should advise the school to contact the planning and building unit of the Department of Education and Skills to discuss those concerns. I agree with the Senator that this is also an issue for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.