Children still waiting for school bus places

Students all over Offaly are still without school transport, almost a month after their summer holidays have come to an end, a local councillor has said.

Calling for a review of the current school transport scheme, Cllr Peter Ormond says that he and other representatives have been inundated with queries from parents who cannot avail of the current scheme.

“On June 29 of this year, Minister John Halligan stated that students who hold a concessionary school bus ticket will not lose their place pending the outcome of a value for money review being conducted by his department. However, we are currently inundated with queries from worried parents who say their children have lost their concessionary place on school buses.

“It is people in rural Ireland that are mostly affected, people who are maybe 12 miles from one school and 13 from another. On Monday morning of this week, I was informed that there were eight children in one location not able to avail of transport to St. Brendan’s Community School in Birr and eleven in another location not able to travel to Borrisokane Community College.

“There are currently a number of students in the Shinrone area still without transport. These people are relying on parents to take them into school on a daily basis. Bus Eireann are telling me that they need sanction from the department to provide extra buses. This sanction needs to happen immediately as the current situation is not sustainable,” the Fianna Fail man said.

Cllr Ormond said that with many local families inconvenienced by the current shortage in school bus seats, the powers that be need to find a solution as soon as possible.

“Funding needs to be provided for this basic service and the Minister needs to sit down with Bus Eireann and ensure that new contracts are put in place that will allow for all students to avail of school transport. It is worth noting that it is €350 for a student to travel on the school bus and it is not a free scheme.”