Road safety needed outside Laois school as batteries stolen from school sign

Batteries were stolen from digital school road signs to power electric lawn mowers, according to a local County Councillor. 

Rathdowney’s Cllr John King has tabled a motion for Laois County Council to repair the damaged digital school sign outside of St. Columcille’s National School, Errill. 

The councillor called for the replacement of a battery within a damaged digital school sign, along with the installation of pencil-shaped bollards on the road by the school.

These actions are in the hopes of "creating safety for all children attending the school."

“A lot of work has been done out in Errill recently, including on St Bernadette’s Hall,” Cllr King said.

“But we need more signage in the area. Some years ago the batteries were taken out of the digital signs, as the original batteries fit electric lawn mowers,” Cllr King said.

“Laois County Council Public Lighting Section will arrange for the damaged school sign to be repaired to improve road safety,” replied  Mr James Dowling, Senior Executive Engineer of the Council's Road Department.

“You didn’t answer the part of my question about the bollards,” Cllr King said.

“We recently installed them outside of the national school in Ballacolla. What’s great about these bollards is that they’re colourful and indicate that there’s a school here,” Cllr King continued.

“Nearly one hundred children attend the school, so four little bollards won’t break the bank,” Cllr King argued. 

Pictured: the pencil style parking bollards at Scoil Mhuire NS in Abbeyleix.

“I didn’t address it because there can only be one issue per motion,” Mr Dowling said.

Cllr King’s motion was seconded by Cllr James Kelly.

“I fully support Cllr King’s three for the price of one motion,” Cllr Kelly said.

“Two for the price of one,” Cllr King shot back.

“I think you were trying a third one there. But I fully support it, road safety at schools is very important,” Cllr Kelly said.

This motion was tabled at the September meeting of Laois County Council's Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick municipal district.