Wheelchair access sought to this Kildare walkway

A Fine Gael councillor has called for a dropped kerb to be installed at a location in Kilcullen to allow for wheelchair access to a new community walkway.

Tabling her motion at the July meeting of Kildare Newbridge Municipal District, Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer asked: “that the council installs a dropped kerb along the path opposite Nicholastown and Conroy Park Estate to allow wheelchair users in particular to access the new community walkway around Kilcullen GAA.”

READ NEXT: Good news as Kildare Village launches new training program for retail workers

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr O'Dwyer said she brought forward her motion because Kilcullen GAA had recently installed a safe walking route which is fully accessible, well-lit and free for everyone to use.

Cllr O'Dwyer said that although the walkway itself is accessible and had become very popular, there was a very real difficulty for people in a wheelchair or with limited mobility wishing to access it from Conroy Park, St Brigid's Avenue, or Nicholastown estates in Kilcullen.

This was because, she explained, people have to walk “or be pushed” 1.7km to the main traffic signal junction, before crossing the road and travelling 1.7km back on the other side of the road, just to access the walkway.

Cllr O'Dwyer said she did not understand the “negative response” that she received from the council, and the fact that it did not appear to indicate a willingness to address the issue.

She said that the council is constantly talking about access issues, and indeed has its own access officer, yet when it came to a “simple, common sense request”, the response was lacking.

She said she understood the limitations of the council's budget, but what was being sought was a simple dropped kerb to allow wheelchair access.

“We don't have the money, we all know that, so let's start getting a little bit more innovative about how we can do this.”

Supporting the motion, Cllr Chris Pender (SD) said the council should be encouraging people to cross the road in as easy a way as possible they can.

“With the best will in the world”, he said, people would walk 1.7km to the pedestrian crossing, “but you and I know that's not going to happen.”

“We know we don't have the money, and we're trying to do this as cheaply and safely as possible”, he said, adding Cllr O'Dwyer's request was something which should be explored.

Speaking on the matter of funding, Cllr Suzanne Doyle (FF) suggested that in cases such as Cllr O'Dwyer's motion, the council could identify the costs involved so that when it came to LPT allocations, it could be done “in a more informed way.”

A council official stated that the council is willing to investigate the matter, “but we have to follow the guidelines.”

The official stated that the local authority could come up with a costing and was open to investigating a design for the location.

Cllr O'Dwyer, responding, indicated she was pleased with at least some positive news from the council.