Parents and kids nearly mowed down at school, councillor says

Speed fiends and litter louts came in for a severe bashing at the October meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad. Someone dumped a three-piece leather suite of furniture at Lynn, Mullingar, that morning, and children and parents are being nearly mowed down by speeding motorists at schools, members claimed.

They called for a name and shame, prosecute and fine campaign to combat illegal dumping and traffic calming measures at all schools.

Cllr Denis Leonard called for a safety and traffic calming audit of the main approach roads entering areas like Multyfarnham, Kinnegad, Rochfortbridge, Milltownpass, Raharney and Killucan.

There are seven housing estates and one of the largest national schools in the county on the Old Mullingar Road into Kinnegad. Traffic is coming in at speed from Coralstown and there is nothing to stop it. All these areas need traffic calming measures, he said.

Cllr Ken Glynn asked that safety measures be “urgently” introduced close to the two schools at Lynn Road, Mullingar. He said that drivers turning the corner at the Gaelscoil and heading for Expert Electrical “are flying” and the speed of vehicles coming from the Bandhall is “unreal”.

Cllr Glynn claimed that cars are cutting through business premises rather than waiting for the traffic lights, putting pedestrians in danger. He told of one man who was taking his child to school on his bike when he was pushed off the road by a car doing such a manoeuvre. Someone is “going to be hit and then we will be having a different conversation,” he warned.

Cllr Emily Wallace said children are using the footpath at Fox’s Fruit and Veg because it is supposed to be safer, but cars are coming around the bend at speed and are “flying” through the roundabout. She suggested that the gardaí might “spot check” at that point in the mornings.

Director of services, Deirdre Reilly, said the council would meet representatives of the two schools and local businesses to examine the safety issues raised. She urged schools to submit applications through a future Safe Routes to Schools Programme if appropriate.

Cllr Glynn asked that in the interim, low cost measures be provided outside the schools to slow motorists, and that measures to stop cars cutting across business property be introduced.

Cllr Wallace suggested that raising the footpath would stop cars hopping it and cutting across. Ms Reilly said that suggestion would be included in discussions with the businesses.

Schools

Cllr Wallace called for a raised pedestrian crossing at St Joseph’s NS, Rathwire. She told of a grandmother who had to grab her grandchild’s jacket and pull him in to prevent him being struck by a car. The school community are willing to talk to the council and do what they can, she remarked. Cllr Frank McDermott said his daughter teaches at that school and he knows about speeding there. He told of “a local who saw the lights were about to change and put the boot down and just missed a child by a whisper – a local!”, he said.

Cllr Hazel Smyth is a past pupil of St Joseph’s. She urged the council to act fast so that pedestrians can use the roads without fearing for their lives.

Ms Reilly said the district engineer would visit the site and contact the principal and a report regarding funding would be brought back to the council.

Cllr Aoife Davitt called for more safety works at St Kenny NS, Ballinea, which she described as “a black spot”. The matter was referred to the transportation department for a possible low cost safety scheme next year, and Cllr Davitt’s concerns will be referred to the gardaí.

The battle against the litter louts was led by the Cllr Bill Collentine, who called for a permanent method of identifying owners of discarded rubbish. He spoke of the suite of furniture dumped at Lynn Road that day and marvelled at why the perpetrator had not gone the rest of the way and paid the €5 or €10 to dispose of it legally. “It’s not right to load up stuff and throw it off out the road when you can take it to recycling for a few shillings,” he said.

He was seconded by Cllr Leonard, who wondered how many speed ramps the council could put in if it did not have to spend money collecting other people’s rubbish. Name and shame, he demanded.

Cllr Mick Dollard called the culprits “environmental assassins” and claimed that a lot of Irish people have no interest in environmental awareness. “You have to drag them to court and fine them,” he said.

Cllr Glynn claimed that as well as the three-piece suite on the Lynn Road, a mattress was dumped at a green area in the town. “It beggars belief what goes on,” he remarked. He asked that pressure be brought to bear to allow the council to use CCTV footage to prosecute offenders.

That was seconded by Cllr Andrew Duncan, who said 15 bags of rubbish had been dumped just up from his house recently. He suggested that if council tenants are found guilty of illegal dumping, the council should take action against them – two strikes and you are out.

Cllr Smyth called for a hotline to the council to report illegal dumping. She suggested that people should advertise their unwanted furniture as free to take away. She said she’d had about 50 calls when she advertised “a basic set of drawers”.

“Embrace the circular economy, there are people that would be grateful for it,” she said.

Cllr Wallace claimed that some businesses are providing house clearing services for money and then dumping the contents illegally.

Ms Reilly pointed out that the council’s litter management plan is up for review in January and she hopes to have news on new legislation governing CCTV protocol in the next few weeks.