Nearly 200 children under nine hospitalised due to cycling accidents last year

Nearly 200 children under the age of nine were hospitalised due to cycling crashes or accidents last year.

According to freedom of information figures, a further 391 were aged between 10 and 19.

The total across all age-groups was nearly 1,700 - as cyclists needed hospital care due to collisions throughout the country.

Martina Callinan, from Galway Cycling Campaign, told Newstalk that the issue needs to be addressed immediately.

“We need urgent action by every local authority and all our counsellors across the country should be demanding that our local councils do more, work faster and prioritise developing safer streets," she said.

“We need upgrade lane ways and shortcuts between housing estates on routes to school. We need to widen footpaths. We need to eliminate rat running and we need to reduce the volume of cars from school gates.”