Kilcullen accessibility is 'embarrassing and shameful', Council told

Kilcullen's footpaths in 2021 ... nothing done since.

Kildare County Council's commitment to making towns age-friendly and accessible was called into question yesterday by Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer, writes Brian Byrne. At the monthly meeting of the Kildare-Newbridge MD, she described the accessibility situation in Kilcullen as 'embarrassing and shameful'.

The councillor was speaking to her motion asking that the Council makes a commitment to allocate funding towards essential path works on Kilcullen's Main Street during 2024. She raised in particular the lack of accessibility for wheelchair users in parts of the town, and the 'uneven cobbled paths' throughout Kilcullen.

"For the past two years I have taken part in both Make Way Days and Access Days with clients from KARE and Camphill and it is embarrassing and shameful that, two years on, one end of the town of Kilcullen remains inaccessible for wheelchair users in particular," she said. "Would you believe in this day and age there isn't even one accessible parking space once you go over the bridge in Kilcullen towards Naas — where we have the hardware shop, the book shop, coffee shop, restaurant, hairdressers and the cinema?"

Cllr O'Dwyer noted that no Main Street works have been carried out in Kilcullen over the past four and a half years, and that it is 'only fair' that a town which is home to two specific service providers — KARE and Camphill — should have necessary footpath works carried out in 2024. "Making our towns accessible has to become a priority for the Council as a whole — it can't all be left to the area engineer's office," she continued. "We all have a role to play in that, from the parks team to public realm to access officer to us, the councillors. I know we the councillors are more than happy to play our part and I'm asking the Council as a whole to step up to the plate and work together to implement real changes in our towns ... starting with Kilcullen!"

The response from the Municipal District agreed to include Kilcullen works for consideration in the footpath programme once LPT funding is agreed in early 2024, 'subject to budget and approval'.

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