LAST UPDATE | 16 Sep

IT IS “INSANE” that children in urban areas are “driven to school from across the road”, deputy leader of the Green Party Róisín Garvey has said.

She claimed that a “quarter” of children under nine years old are overweight, adding that this was partly as a result of them being “driven everywhere”.

She added that more should be done to provide better, alternative methods of transport, such as paths and bike lanes, and to incentivise public transport.

Garvey and her party leader Roderic O’Gorman were asked whether the Greens would support extending free public transport measures for children travelling to and from school at the party’s think in in Dublin this morning.

The Greens already announced today that it would be supporting measures to make further cuts to the cost of public transport, by making services free-to-use for children under the age of 9.

O’Gorman reasoned that this measure would create good habits for younger generations and reduce the travel cost that families face.

He added that his party would like to make school transport more accessible, particularly in rural areas, and extend services to as many students as possible.

Since the beginning of the new term, bus services operating school runs have been under pressure in many areas around the country due to a lack of resources. O’Gorman said that the Department of Education is working to resolve the issue.

“I think expansion of programmes like that would be really welcome. It’s beneficial. It has an environmental benefit, it has a cost-saving benefit and it has a time-saving benefit for so many parents,” he added.

Picking up on her colleague’s comments, Garvey said: “What we need to expand is the space we give to our children who are trying to get to school safely.”

The Senator said the use of cars and the over reliance on private vehicles in Ireland is “still a huge issue”, adding that pedestrian crossings and footpaths should be prioritised, particularly in urban areas. 

“As somebody who relies on a car in rural areas, I get that. But in urban areas, it is insane that we still have kids being driven to school from across the road.

She added: “A quarter of our nine year olds are overweight. That’s because they have to be driven everywhere. We have to take this seriously.”

A recent report, published in June, by the HSE found that approximately 20% of primary school children are considered overweight or obese. The report suggested healthy eating and a balanced diet as a method to help children make a healthy weight.

Garvey said other urban planners should look to the changes made to the flow of traffic by Dublin City Council in the city centre as an example of how to better prioritise more sustainable methods of transport.

‘Don’t simplify an already complex issue’

Asked about Garvey’s comments this afternoon, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Finance Jack Chambers said that childhood obesity is a complex issue that should not be oversimplified.

“I think we need to be careful not to simplify the or make conclusion on the basis of place of just people being driven to school,” Chambers said. 

The finance minister said he believes the current Government has invested in and supported active travel programmes and supports measures to make the society more active through further aid to sports clubs or rural transport.

He added with the increased presence of fast food and different daily eating habits, the issue of weight and healthcare among children has become a far more “complex” issue in recent years.

“We need to be careful not to overly simplify what is a complex issue in health policy.”