Sale of car park adds to traffic

THE sale of a 130-space car park as a site for decentralised Government offices in Killarney is adding to traffic congestion outside schools in the town, it was claimed yesterday.

Ten buses serving three second-level schools in the immediate area had been using the car park as a collection point, but the car park has now been closed, forcing the buses onto the street.

A spokesperson for Holy Cross Primary School Parents’ and Teachers’ Association said the traffic situation was chaotic.

School principal Ursula Coffey said she hopes the loss of the car park will focus attention on solving the overall traffic problem in the area.

“What we need is a new traffic system,” she said.

Ms Coffey said it was basically a question of catering for traffic for relatively short periods in the morning and afternoon as the children came to school and were later collected.

Most of the school traffic is funnelled into the New Road, which provides access to five schools.

School building in Killarney has been focused in this area, which has three second-level schools - St Brendan’s, St Brigid’s and Killarney Community College - and two primary schools - Holy Cross and Presentation Monastery - within half-a-mile.

The car park, known locally as Jimmy the Master’s, has been taken over by the Office of Public Works and offices for the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism will be built on it.

It is expected that 130 civil service jobs will be transferred to Killarney.

However, as a result, more traffic has to park on the New Road, leading to serious congestion before the schools open in the morning and close in the afternoon.

Local councillors have also warned that the loss of car parking will lead to traffic problems and parking space shortages in other parts of Killarney.

Killarney experiences traffic congestion during the peak tourist season each year.

Arts, Sport and Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue, meanwhile, said design and lay-out plans had been approved for the new offices in Killarney.

A builder will shortly be appointed and a planning application lodged for the building, he added.

Building is due to be finished by the end of 2007.