'Three-year delay' to pedestrian lights outside Cork special school

A CORK city councillor has hit out at a long delay in turning on of pedestrian crossing lights outside a special school for children with disabilities in the north-east of the city.

Labour Party councillor John Maher said it was “ridiculous” that Cork City Council has not yet activated a new signalised pedestrian crossing on the Old Youghal Road in Banduff.

“We’ve waited three years to get this project done,” he said. “We have spent €135,000 to see the job completed, and they still aren’t in operation.

“This crossing is outside Scoil Cara Junior School, which caters for children with additional needs, and will link the communities of Barnavara with Lotamore and surrounding areas.”

Mr Maher, who represents the Cork City North-East ward, said he had raised the matter repeatedly at meetings of the North-East Local Area Committee and he had yet to receive a response from the city council.

“We’ve seen in other parts of city where crossings and lights are operational in no time, yet we continue to wait,” he said.

“After €135,000 spent, the least we can expect is for these lights to be working. These are the basics we should be ensuring as a local authority.”

A Cork City Council spokesperson said there had not been a delay of three years in “operationalising this crossing since it substantial completion” in October 2023, adding that works had been “steadily progressing through the required phases over the past three years”.

“However before the new lights can be switched on, an ESB connection is required to both operate the lights and facilitate inspection and testing of same to ensure the lights are in proper working order,” the spokesperson said.

Cork City Council was “currently engaging with and awaiting the ESB connection to progress the works to final completion,” it said.