Boyle’s Scoil na nAingeal Naofa along with St. Michael’s NS in Cootehall are among a number of schools nationwide that have been awarded funding under the ‘Safe Routes to School Programme’.
The Safe Routes to School Programme aims to create safer walking and cycling routes within communities, alleviate congestion at the school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school by providing improvements to walking and cycling facilities. The launch of the second round of the programme will see over 37,000 students across Ireland benefit from safer infrastructure and encourage them to cycle, walk and wheel to school.
Locally Minister of State, Frank Feighan TD has welcomed funding for seven local schools across the constituency. In Leitrim, Mohill Community School and St Joseph’s NS, Leitrim Village have received allocations while in Co Sligo Our Lady of Mercy Primary School (Pearse Road, Sligo) and S.N.Réalt na Mara, Rosses Point had successful applications, meanwhile two North Roscommon Schools received good news which include Scoil na nAingeal Naofa, Boyle and St Michael’s NS, Cootehall.
“I look forward to the local authorities preparing plans to bring safer walking and cycling routes to these local schools, as Minister with responsibility for Healthy Ireland and Wellbeing I wish to commend Minister Naughton for this initiative which will have a positive health impact on the school going children of this region” suggested Minister Feighan.
Speaking from her home county of Galway at the launch of round two of the Safe Routes to School Programme, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD said: “I am delighted to be able to bring some festive cheer to schools nationwide by confirming that thousands of more children nationwide will soon benefit from safer infrastructure which will allow them to walk, cycle and scoot to school every day.
“In recent months I have had the privilege of visiting schools across the country and have seen first-hand the positive impact that Safe Routes to School projects are having on our children’s daily lives. During these visits the message was loud and clear that there is a huge appetite for the continued rollout of the Safe Routes to School Programme in our villages, towns, and cities across the country. Now, having secured the necessary funding as part of Budget 2023, it is great to see the programme continue to go from strength to strength. My ambition is that every child in Ireland will have the option to make their daily commute to the classroom by foot, bicycle or scooter in a way that they are safe and protected; one that I am confident is shared amongst children, their parents, teachers and the wider school community, “concluded Minister Naughton.
