No funding available for new lights at this Kildare train station

There is no funding source available for the provision of new lights at one County Kildare train station.

Kildare County Council (KCC) provided the answer in response to a motion which was heard at the latest Athy Municipal District meeting on Monday, March 16 last.

The discussion initially arose when Labour Party councillor Aoife Breslin motioned for KCC to carry out a road safety audit and to also install additional public lighting on the roadway outside Athy Train Station, "in the interest of safety".

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Her motion was seconded by Fianna Fáil Cllr Veralouise Behan.

Speaking further on her motion, Cllr Breslin said that the station is a "highly used" facility.

Another councillor, Brian Dooley, also expressed support for the motion.

The Fianna Fáil rep, who appeared at the meeting by virtual means, told KCC that there was a great deal of traffic near the station, and also noted that two traffic accidents had occurred near it in the last six months.

In response to Cllr Breslin's requests, KCC said via the report it presented at the meeting: "There is no funding source for the provision of new public lighting at this location.

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"In order to understand the reference to 'safety' as included in the motion, staff from the Public Lighting Section can meet with the elected member on site to discuss the issue further."

KCC added: "Any safety issues outside of Public Lighting can be discussed in detail with the Municipal Engineer."

This response received criticism from the Mayor of the MD, Fine Gael Cllr Ivan Keatley, who said that he 'did not understand it'.

He asserted: "It says that it will meet the elected member out on site to discuss the situation further, but the [remedial] works needed there are very obvious."

A representative of KCC who was also present at the meeting replied that they noted the comments from the councillors, and repeated KCC's point in the report that it would meet with Cllr Breslin on site.

"I think the best thing to do would be to arrange a meeting [to discuss the matter further]," the KCC rep added. "However, just to note, we do not have a specific funding source for the installation of public lights [at the station]."

Labour Party Cllr Aoife Breslin. Photograph credit: kildarecoco.ie

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Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.