Deputy Joan Burton said that she recently met on site at Kirkpatrick Bridge beside Coolmine railway station during the early morning rush hour with Senior Officials from Waterways Ireland to discuss the urgent issue of a pedestrian crossing at Coolmine and Clonsilla Railway station.

Deputy Burton said, “These crossings are among the most dangerous in the country. Thousands of people are crossing the railway line to get trains to go to and from school, work etc and they have to mingle with cars. The government have promised for 9 years now that this would be a priority measure for safety reasons. These must be the most long promised pedestrian bridges in the country – perhaps even in the world!”

I was assured at my on site meeting by Waterways Ireland that the end of the long wait was near and that the planning application for a pedestrian bridge is due very soon from Iarnroid Eireann.

I hope the end of this saga is nigh because I don’t think that the situation can continue much longer given the huge growth in population and traffic numbers in the area. While visiting the stie with the Waterways Ireland group I showed them the extraordinarily poor state of the canal towpath which makes it extremely difficult for people to use as the leisure amenity that is supposed to be. The OPW advised me that they will now consider upgrading the quality of the towpath and also attend to cleaning the canal banks which from time to time are full of rubbish, not to mention rats.

What is needed here is a partnership between Waterways Ireland, the county Council and Iarnroid Eireann to ensure that the canal becomes the firstclass amenity that it should be for people in the area while providing safe passage to railway stations as required by the population of Dublin 15.

Deputy Burton said, I commend in particular the residents association of Kirpatrick who in particular have campaigned for at least 15 years. They deserve to see their bridge installed.