Lollipop lady’s retirement raises safety fears

Children’s safety will be at risk if a retiring lollipop lady is not replaced by the local council, parents and staff at a Cork City primary school claim.

After 16 years of service, Catherine Heas finishes her role as school warden at Scoil Íosagáin in Farranree on the city’s northside at the end of next week. But Cork City Council has told the school that it is not in a position to replace her, meaning there will be no warden to help ensure safe crossing for children at opening and closing times from the start of the new term on January 5.

Although the council is applying for Department of Environment approval to fill the post, on the basis it is a critical vacancy, the school community remains concerned.

“There are nearly 400 pupils coming to the school and you need to stand and see it here any morning or afternoon to understand the situation. There’s a roundabout very close to us, and vans and other traffic parking nearby often means there is little or no visibility of pedestrians,” said school principal Feargal Hurley.

“There’s a pedestrian crossing at traffic lights further down the road, but very few people use it because it only serves people coming from or going in that direction,” he said.

As well as his all-boys’ school there are another primary, a second-level school and two pre-schools on the same road, Knockpogue Avenue.

But traffic to and from two other second-level schools and a primary school in the area also use the road.

Ms Heas said that the crossing point at the lights down the road is regularly blocked by parked cars, making it difficult for children to get across, with traffic wardens having been called on to deal with the parking problems.

The council has also offered to support a junior school warden scheme, in which senior pupils at Scoil Íosagáin would be trained to operate the crossing under staff supervision. But Mr Hurley said the crossing is not suited to such a scheme, and he has also raised concerns with local TDs and minister of state Kathleen Lynch.

“My concern is the safety of my pupils, I can’t stand over 385 children coming to school every morning without proper supervision crossing the road,” he said.

Despite Cork City Council’s assurance last week that it was seeking an exemption from a public service recruitment ban to fill the school warden vacancy, the protest went ahead yesterday afternoon, with parents using the slogan: ‘Protect our children, Save our school warden.’

The council confirmed it would be applying to be allowed replace Ms Heas in a reply to a question from local councillor Tony Fitzgerald on Monday night. The Fianna Fáil representative called on Environment Minister Alan Kelly to swiftly approve the post.