Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her response, which was somewhat disappointing. The capacity of the school or local authority to improve safety is limited at that location. It is a busy regional route and there is no space to widen the road, provide a car park or implement safety measures. A new school is needed in the area. Not only would this increase the safety of children and their parents when dropping children off, but it would also increase the safety of the road itself.

The Minister of State mentioned the Galway city school planning area and capacity, but Barna is a self-contained community. Children living there in future will want to attend locally, not in Galway city, and they deserve to get the best education within their local community. If we are to encourage walking, cycling and so on, a new location for Scoil Shéamais Naofa is necessary, as the current site is not suitable. I ask that the Department re-engage with the school to examine the possibilities and with Galway County Council to get clarity on what it can do in respect of school safety. I do not believe that anything can be done on that site, but such an engagement would be positive.