COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
QUESTION NO. 6
QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell
To ask the Manager to provide an up to date report on An Taisce’s Green School’s Initiative which includes the encouragement of walking and cycling to school and to indicate if this Council has done/can do anything to improve and extend it across the Palmerston and Lucan areas?
REPLY:
The Green Schools Program has six flags which a school can achieve
- Litter/Waste
- Energy
- Water
- Travel
- Biodiversity
- Global Citizenship/Climate Change
There is a seven step programme to achieve each flag and the programme has to be running for at least two school years for the 1st flag and one school year for the remaining flags before a school can apply for a flag. In order to achieve the Travel Flag in the Lucan area each school needs to complete the Waste, Energy and Water Flags first.
In the Lucan Electoral Area there are 25 schools, 17 Primary schools and 8 secondary. 24 schools are registered for the Green Schools Programme, 12 schools have one or more green flag with the remaining 12 working towards their 1st green flag. To date one school in the Lucan Electoral Area has a Travel Flag and three schools have begun work on their Travel Flag. Each of these schools has been visited by the An Taisce Travel Officer. All the schools in the Lucan Electoral Area who are eligible to apply for a Travel Flag are currently working on achieving this.
Link to An Taisce Green Schools Programme for Travel http://www.greenschoolsresources.org/travel-links.php
While Road Safety Section is not involved in the Green School Programme we are available to support schools if contacted by them.
Planning Under the Travel Smart Communities project a programme of engaging with schools is currently underway. There are 7 national schools within the Lucan Area which will be involved in the programme to provide assistance in developing sustainable travel initiatives. Travel Smart Communities Project is the subject of a Headed Item will be set out in detail.