Schools in Cork added to Safe Routes to School programme – O’Shea  

Schools in Cork will benefit from funding through the Safe Routes to School Programme, Fine Gael TD John Paul O’Shea has said.

Deputy O’Shea said, “Fine Gael made Safe Routes to School a priority in Government, and today’s announcement shows that commitment in action. With over €50m invested nationally to date we are ensuring safer journeys in Cork”

Ballyvongane National School and Scoil Reidh na nDoirí from Cork North West Constituency will benefit from this additional funding.

These improvements include school zone features such as pencil shaped bollards, colourful road markings, upgraded footpaths, and enhanced pedestrian crossings, designed to slow traffic and make walking and cycling safer for students. The programme aims include improving safety and public health while reducing car congestion and supporting climate goals.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jerry Buttimer said, “I am delighted to see the Safe Routes to School Programme continuing to advance at pace. This nationwide investment in walking and cycling infrastructure, estimated at around €15-20 million for 2026, strengthens the safety of our students and also encourages lifelong habits of sustainable travel. Better health, safer journeys, lower emissions, and reduced congestion are just some of the benefits.

“At its core, this programme is about making school environments safer by reducing traffic speeds and improving how children interact with the road. The default choice of many is to travel to work or school by car, but with the provision of infrastructure through the Safe Routes to School Programme, walking and cycling should become a viable option for many.”

Since its launch in 2021, the SRTS programme has grown significantly with 526 schools now actively incorporated into the programme and around €50 million invested in projects to date across Ireland. Tangible progress has been made in every city and county in the country, giving more families the option to choose active travel for at least part of the school journey.

The SRTS programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA). The Education and Community Action Team at An Taisce is co-ordinating the programme. 

The programme works closely with school communities, parents and local authorities to ensure that proposed measures reflect local needs and gain broad support through community engagement. Almost half of participating schools have reached an advanced stage, with 227 projects either completed, under construction or in the final design phase following public consultation.

Round 4 also includes schools located on higher-speed rural roads.  The 12 schools in this category will benefit from tailored measures such as prominent signage and road markings to alert motorists and encourage lower speeds. This follows successful trials in Galway, Roscommon and Donegal, which recorded speed reductions near the schools involved.

ENDS//

Notes to Editors:

• When the programme launched in 2021, 932 schools applied, nearly a quarter of all schools nationally. More than half of those have already been included in the active programme and, it is anticipated, the remaining schools will be added on a rolling basis in future rounds.

• Funding is available to local authorities to deliver Safe Routes to School infrastructure through the NTA’s Active Travel Allocation from the Department of Transport. Costs and timelines depend on factors such as required interventions, public consultation, planning consent, construction scheduling and annual local authority budgets.

• Round 4 schools were selected using the same criteria as previous rounds, ensuring a mix of school types (primary and secondary) and locations (urban, suburban and rural). Selection also considered socio-economic diversity (DEIS and non-DEIS schools), demonstrated commitment to sustainable travel (e.g., Walk on Wednesday, Cycle Bus, Park and Stride, audits), proximity to other schools and alignment with active travel or safety schemes planned by local authorities.

• 136 school zones are complete, 45 are under construction, 46 are at late phases of design, following public consultation processes, 23 are going through public consultation processes, 80 are undergoing preliminary design and 79 are at options development.

• In addition to SRTS, 464 schools nationally have benefited from Active Travel projects up to the end of 2024.

• Lifecycle of a Safe Routes to School video WATCH HERE