Three Wexford Primary Schools Selected for Safe Routes to School Programme

Three primary schools in County Wexford are among 83 schools nationwide selected to benefit from the latest expansion of the Safe Routes to School Programme.

St Catherine's National School in Ballyhack, St Joseph's National School in Bree and St Kevin's National School in Tara Hill have been included in Round 5 of the Government-backed initiative, announced today, Thursday, October 8th.

The programme aims to make journeys to school safer and more accessible for children and families who walk, cycle or use other forms of active travel.

Improvements can include upgraded footpaths, safer pedestrian crossings, traffic calming measures, cycle paths and distinctive school-zone road markings designed to alert motorists and encourage lower speeds.

The three Wexford schools will now work with local authorities and Safe Routes to School infrastructure officers to identify measures appropriate to their individual locations.

Over 600 Schools Now Participating

The latest expansion brings the total number of participating schools across Ireland to 609, making the initiative one of the largest school active travel programmes in Europe.

Announcing the latest round, Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said the programme is helping more children travel to school safely while reducing traffic congestion and creating healthier communities.

Since its launch in 2021, more than €50 million has been invested in the programme, with a further €24 million allocated for 2026.

Nationally, 189 school zones have been completed, while dozens of additional projects are progressing through construction, design and consultation.

Surveys of almost 1,700 pupils at schools where improvements have been completed indicate that cycling has increased by almost 49%, walking by 8%, and car use has fallen by more than 10%.

The Safe Routes to School Programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority and coordinated by An Taisce in partnership with local authorities.

The latest announcement marks another step towards creating safer school environments for children and families across County Wexford