Green Party TD – Steven Matthews has written to the Baltinglass Municipal District Engineer seeking a safety assessment of several roads and paths in Shillelagh Village. Following a recent visit to Scoil Mhuire na n-Áird Primary School in Shillelagh to meet with school principal Rory Healy, Deputy Matthews observed the road safety issues first-hand outside the school. A series of locations were highlighted as a safety concern for residents, students, and the wider school community – particularly on the R749 and the R725. ‘This follows my work last year with Shillelagh Football Club to extend the pathway to Ballard Park which will be carried out shortly’ said Deputy Matthews
“Shillelagh is one of the most beautiful parts of County Wicklow, but many residents shared the view that road safety, road markings and pedestrian safety needed huge improvement.
“I was particularly concerned about safe pedestrian routes to to Scoil Mhuire na n-Áird on the R749 and it was the school principal who wrote to me originally about the lack of road traffic management, safe pedestrian or cycling routes to the school and generally about the need to improve road safety. I am also working with the Department of Education, seeking to get the school included in the Safe Routes to School Programme.
“There are several measures that could make an immediate difference which I have flagged– including the provision of better, safer footpaths between Shillelagh Village and Scoil Mhuire na n-Áird, the installation of a pedestrian crossing and an overall reduction in traffic speed – particularly at school hours. I look forward to working with the local authority to see a road safety assessment being carried out and I hope that it will come to the same conclusions on the required work that I and the school principal have set out.
“Separately, having spoken with residents, I have also raised the lack of road markings for the Shillelagh to Tullow Road – R725 which is a genuine safety concern for those I spoke with. Again, I have sought the intervention of the district engineers and will continue to work to ensure their safety concerns are addressed.
I hope to see real progress on the Arklow – Shillelagh Greenway this year and I have been continuously working with Wicklow County Council to ensure on going funding for this fantastic amenity for the Shillelagh and Tinahely area’ concluded Deputy Matthews.
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