Growing concerns about health and safety issues for school children in the congested Ballinamore PPS school vicinity will see local councillors investigate what can be done to safeguard students safety.
The Ballinamore Parents Association, who chaired the local meeting about the school, said there were fears that the proposed widening of the bridge at the entrance to the town would create fears for the safety of children attending the nearby secondary and primary schools. They
insisted that the new school should be built before the bridge is remodelled. Chairperson, Maureen Martin, read out a letter received from, Noel Brett CEO of the National Road Safety Council, saying that the best solution to the problem would be the building of the new school that would take children out of the immediate danger area.
It was not clear when the proposed remodelling of the bridge would take place.
Cllr Martin Kenny said that an architectural survey on the bridge had to be done first and felt that work on the bridge was “way down the road”
and this was later confirmed by County Council chairman Cllr Damian Brennan who said that it would be well into 2008 before any possible work might commence.
Cllr Brennan said afterwards that because of current health and safety issue, the council would now get involved in addressing parents concerns and in relation to the bridge said that “if parents Council to get involved in Ballinamore school saga are not happy, work on the bridge should not proceed.”
One parent at the meeting highlighted the current problem when saying that his own child had a near escape last week when walking between schools as his child accidentally fell out from the narrow pavement and in front of passing traffic but luckily escaped any injury.
Councillors in the Ballinamore area have arranged an immediate meeting with council engineers to see what measures could be put in place to reduce hazards to safeguard the school children.
The county council have also been asked to organise an immediate meeting with the Dept. of Education on the new school and this issue will be addressed at the forthcoming October council meeting.
On the new school, everyone called for more progress to be made and to get a design team in place immediately.
Cllr Caillian Ellis confirmed Cllr Gordon Hughes statements to the Leitrim Post last week, when he said that the Office of Public Work had paid money for the school sites and that only a small amount of paperwork stood in the way of the Dept. completely owning the property.