Tipp schools feature in road safety programme

Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien, together with Ministers of State Seán Canney and Jerry Buttimer and the National Transport Authority (NTA), today announced the latest round of schools to join the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme.

Fianna Fáil TD for North Tipperary, Ryan O’Meara, has welcomed the inclusion of Two Mile Borris National School in the fifth round of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programme, with the school among 83 nationwide selected schools.

This national initiative is designed to transform the school run by installing safety infrastructure such as "School Zone" pencil-shaped bollards, colourful road markings, upgraded footpaths, and enhanced pedestrian crossings to slow traffic and prioritise student safety, depending on the local needs of the school in question. 

Round 5 will bring a further 83 schools into the programme, with schools from every county in Ireland represented. This will bring the total number of participating schools to 609, meaning almost two-thirds of the 932 schools that originally applied are now being actively supported in creating safer and more attractive conditions for children and families walking, wheeling and cycling to school. In Co Tipperary, the school that will benefit from the most recent round of funding is Two Mile Borris NS.

Since its launch in 2021, the Safe Routes to School Programme has grown into one of Ireland's most ambitious active travel initiatives. The remaining schools that applied to join the Programme will continue to be brought forward through future rounds, as the pipeline of projects progresses nationwide.

The Programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the NTA's Active and Sustainable Transport Investment Programme and is coordinated by the Safe Routes to School Team at An Taisce. Working in partnership with all 31 local authorities, schools and local communities, the Programme aims to make journeys to school safer, more attractive and more accessible for children across Ireland.

Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien, said: “I am delighted to officially launch the next round of the Safe Routes to School Programme. The inclusion of a further 83 schools in Round 5 means that over 600 schools are now actively participating in the Programme. Safe Routes to School is delivering real benefits for communities by enabling more children to walk, wheel and cycle to school safely, reducing traffic congestion and helping to create healthier, more sustainable communities for future generations.

Interventions under the Safe Routes to School Programme are already having an impact with the most recent census showing the first increase in children walking to school in a generation. I look forward to building on this momentum as the Programme continues to grow and support safer, more active journeys to more schools across Ireland.”