Dangerous drop-off and parking issue raised at special school

Parents at Stepping Stones Special School in Maynooth, which caters for many children from Meath have called for urgent action over what they say are dangerous drop-off and parking conditions.

Stepping Stones School currently has a car park that operates as a one-way system, with bus drivers relying on what’s been described as an “unwritten system” — using hazard lights while children get off.

Planning permission has been granted for a new car park, but no timeline has been set for the work.

“A little boy was almost hit by a taxi recently. If a child bolts away from special needs assistant or teacher - it is a major accident waiting to happen. All of these children are a flight risk,” one mother explained.

“It operates by unwritten rules parents and driver set up themselves. It cannot continue like this. Are we going to wait for one of our children to be knocked down. Are we going to have to wait for a fatality?

“Nothing is happening about the proposed works. We want action, concrete plans and a date when they will start. The safety of the children paramount,” she said.

The works for which planning permission has been granted include a turnaround point, a safe area to drop the children off with a teacher or SNA and staff parking.

Cllr Caroline O’Reilly organised a meeting in Leinster House with Minister Michael Moynihan, Minister James Lawless, TDs, and school representatives, including principal Dolores Cullinane and deputy principal Orla Murphy.

Cllr O’Reilly said it was important that the concerns of the school were raised directly at Government level, particularly given the strong connection between the school and Meath. “Stepping Stones was originally founded in Kilcloon before moving to Maynooth, and many of the children attending the school are from Meath,” she said.

“This is an important school for many families across Meath and Kildare, and it was important that their concerns were heard.”

Cllr O’Reilly said a number of Meath parents had contacted her over the past year outlining their worries around safety, facilities and the ongoing pressures facing the school.

“Parents reached out to me because they were genuinely concerned about the situation and the impact it was having on their children and families,” she said.

“I visited the school in December and it was important for me to see the situation firsthand and speak directly with staff and parents about the challenges they were dealing with.”

Issues discussed at the Leinster House meeting included the condition and safety of the school car park, funding pressures, and the broader need for continued support for special education services.

Cllr O’Reilly also acknowledged the work being done by school staff and families.

“The staff and parents continue to work extremely hard in supporting the students, and it is important that they are supported in return,” she said.

“I will continue to support the school and the families connected to it where I can.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said they were reviewing the matter in relation to the proposed car park and will be in contact with the school management soon in this regard.