Daily near misses on a national primary road outside a Kerry school are putting children at huge risk.
That’s according to a deputation from Lissivigeen National School who have addressed Killarney councillors about the situation.
The school, which has 271 pupils, is located on the N22 Killarney-Cork road near the roundabout for the N72 Rathmore road.
Kerry County Council says it's working to address the issue with signs being erected on all sides of the roundabout.
It says further funding is needed.
Acting principal Ellen Cagney told councillors of the factors involved including the heavy volume of traffic, cars being forced to park on both sides of the road, and lack of road markings and bollards.
She said the 60 kilometres per hour speed limit outside Lissivigeen school is “risky and unsafe”.
It's proposed that a digital sign be installed to reduce speed to 30 kilometres per hour during school hours.
She described how children have to walk along the grass verge to get to their parents’ cars, with no protection from fast-passing traffic.
Ellen Cagney said the school’s crossing guard experiences close calls every single day when she stands in the middle of N22 to guide children across the road.
Councillors heard the crossing guard and children experience regular abuse from motorists.
The car park in Lissivigeen National School was built years ago when there were fewer pupils.
The meeting was told that there is a "high risk" of an accident, and that emergency services would struggle to gain access through the whole bottle-necked area.
Michelle Barrett is chair of the parents' association.
