Council seeking clarification on battle for extra parking at Laois school - News - Laois Nationalist

Cllr Mullins advised council to

Joshua McCormack Having already sought the addition of an extra parking space at the Sandylane School for several years, independent councillor Aidan Mullins expressed his bewilderment at the latest roadblock and urged the council to press the minister for education on youth on its responsibility to provide a new space.

In response, a representative of the area office said: "The provision of entrances and egresses to schools, including safe parking facilities, is the responsibility of the Department of Education. Laois Co Council will support the department in any endeavour it is going to make to attempt to improve the situation, but it is, ultimately, the department's responsibility."

Cllr Mullins appreciated the response, but went on to highlight what he effectively described as the department's incompetence, describing how after the council had written to the minister’s office in December of 2025, they replied with a statement that not only ‒ wrongly ‒ claimed the responsibility for the provision of a new parking space lay with Laois Co Council, but also told the council’s financial officer to write to a representative of Laois Co Council about the issue.

About the response, Cllr Mullins said: "Two things hit me here. Number one. They are wrong, so the competence of these ‘so-called’ officials is called into question, and number two, it’s addressed to the head of finance in Laois Co Council, which is also at the same time telling you to contact Laois Co Council, so it's an idiotic response to me and now it turns out they are responsible…"

The councillor went on to highlight that he had spoken to a man who owned a field beside the school, who said he would be willing to accommodate the council and school’s desire for a parking space in the area. He concluded by urging the council to write right back to the department with a message for them to ‘get their arses in gear’ and accept that it was their responsibility to provide the space The chair, as well as various council officials, were in accord with Cllr Mullins frustration and agreed to write back with something akin to that sentiment, though likely not those exact words.