Green TD Steven Matthews has welcomed the extension of the “Safe Routes to School” scheme as announced by the Department of Transport in conjunction with the National Transport Authority. The programme which Deputy Matthews has been an advocate of for many years, will now include a further 5 Wicklow schools , which will give many more children the option of walking, cycling or scooting to school safely.
Speaking after the announcement, Deputy Matthews said:
“I am delighted that this very important scheme has been extended to include these 5 additional schools in Wicklow. The Safe Routes to School scheme is vital to ensure that our children have safe walking, cycling and scooting routes to and from school. It also has the added benefit of allowing families to move away from over-reliance on cars and reducing morning congestion. This is an issue which I have been working on for many years as I believe that every child should be able to have the choice to travel to school in a safe and sustainable manner, while also affording them a healthier and more active alternative to car travel.
The 5 Wicklow schools which have been included in this scheme are:
● Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath- Greystones
● Greystones Educate Together- Greystones
● Kilmacanogue NS- Kilmacanogue
● Scoil Niocláis Naofa- Dunlavin
● Temple Carrig School- Greystones
“Having had the pleasure of visiting many schools around Wicklow in recent months, the safety of students on their commute to school is an issue which is consistently raised with me. I look forward to working with these schools, the NTA and Wicklow County Council going forward and helping them to provide adequate facilities to get our children to school safely and sustainably. In the meantime, I will continue to liaise with the Department of Transport and the council to ensure that more schools around Wicklow benefit from this vital programme in the next round of funding,” Deputy Matthews concluded.
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