Greater flexibility in School Transport Scheme needed - TD

Deputy Brendan Smith laments that predictions of problems he made during a Special Dáil Debate in July relating to the need to deal with emerging issues in the operation of the school transport scheme have come to pass. “I outlined clearly that many families would once again face difficulties due to the lack of school transport for their children and unfortunately we have situations now where students had transport last year but will not have that service continued this year.
“School transport is a huge resource for rural Ireland. At times we do not factor it in enough as a necessary measure to ensure we retain population in rural Ireland.”
He said that he has particular concerns about the changes introduced from 2012 onwards.
“Members of a family may have traditionally attended a Post Primary Centre but after changes were introduced younger siblings in some instances were not entitled to transport to the same centre their older siblings attended. Changes to the method of distance calculation through the use of Google Maps have caused problems and at times the distance identified as the nearest route was along roads that are not passable for vehicles/school buses.
“Minister of State Halligan in his reply to me in Dáil Éireann agreed that more flexibility is needed in the operation of the Scheme and there is an urgent need to introduce greater flexibility and Bus Éireann Officials should also be authorised by the Department of Education to deal with issues on a practical basis informed by local knowledge.”
The Fianna Fáil deputy insists the necessary changes would only involve small additional public expenditure, but would mean so much for so many families.
“We know families are stressed out at the beginning of the school year with various back to school costs. Additional difficulties with school transport and concerns about getting children to school just add further stress to families and measures to deal with such difficulties on the ground would be most welcome,” concluded Deputy Brendan Smith.