Bring our kids to school!

PETITION Kilnaleck families demand public service to secondary schools in Cavan Town

A Cavan community is pleading with the Department of Education and Bus Éireann to bring their children to secondary school, writes Michelle Taite.

Parents in the Kilnaleck area have been forking out thousands each year for a private bus service to bring their children to school in Cavan Town because there isn’t a public service available.

Mother of four, Pauline Clarke says: “For the last two years, I paid €1,320 just for one child to get to school on a private bus. At the moment, the bus driver hasn’t come back and given an amount for this year, but we are expecting it to be €1,485 plus.”

The situation is more pronounced for the forthcoming academic year given that the government has abolished public school transport fees for all families, regardless of means.

Under current Department rules, Bus Éireann is only required to carry children to the most local school in their area. In this case, St Clare’s College in Ballyjamesduff is five kilometres closer to Kilnaleck than schools in Cavan Town.

“Our Department of Education has refused to bring a bus to Kilnaleck because St Clare’s College in Ballyjamesduff is our first school. It’s 2022, can parents really not decide what school they want their child to attend?”

Students in the rural community would have to travel in excess of 4,000 kilometres to get to and from their closest Bus Éireann stop each year. “Our closest Bus Éireann stops are Ardkill Old School, which parents have reported as a very dangerous stop for cars and kids, the other is Shannow, Ballinagh, which is not so safe either.”

Pauline has made it her personal mission to rectify the situation.

She contacted Bus Éireann, who told her that all affected families had to apply for Bus Éireann tickets. “We never applied for tickets before because we knew the stops weren’t close enough for us to get the bus, but Bus Éireann said we should all apply so that they know where we are and there’s a demand for a bus in the area.”

Once all the parents had applied, Pauline got back in contact with Bus Éireann. “A girl answered the phone this time and said - Pauline, we need a petition and we need it now.”

“All 19 parents signed the petition, as well as parents whose children will be starting school in Cavan Town in the next few years. They’re already concerned about how they’re going to pay for the private bus.”

Soon after, Pauline got a call from the bus inspector in the area. “He said to get everybody on the list to contact the representative they voted for to get this pushed through.”

So, Pauline created a Facebook page and held meetings, which were attended by local representatives including Sinn Féin TD Pauline Tully and Cllr Trevor Smith (FG).

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan/Monaghan Niamh Smyth also raised the issue in Dáil Éireann last month. She asked the Minister for Transport to urgently review the case affecting approximately 25 children in Kilnaleck in Cavan regarding their school transport.

“Currently these families are paying thousands for a private bus to accommodate bringing their children to their chosen secondary school in Cavan Town. They are not being accommodated under the school transport scheme as they are not ‘attending their closest school’.”

Frustrated by the situation, Deputy Smyth continued: “This situation is causing massive stress both financial and otherwise on families in the Kilnaleck area who have contacted me... It’s a ridiculous situation and action is needed by the Department.”

Responding to Deputy Smyth in the Dáil on the issue, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: “One of the things we need to start considering, in the context of school transport and transport for the health service, is connecting in the strength we have in the Local Link system. That might be one of the ways of starting to get more choice and variation. I will ask the Minister for Education to look specifically at the case in Kilnaleck in order to see if something can be done.”

However, a spokesperson for the Local Link said “unfortunately School Transport is outside of the remit of the Local Link. It is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Bus Éireann.”

Bus Éireann also commented on the situation, saying: “Children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department of Education/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility will be determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant education centre.”

Pauline hosted a meeting last Monday, August 1. Although no progress was reported, she said: “The deadline was August 29 for tickets and then routes and children will be sorted out. We know the Ardkill bus is already full and our kids are concessionary so it remains to be seen if our kids will get a seat.”

Kilnaleck parents have been fighting for decades to make school transport more accessible in their area.

“My husband is 35 years gone from secondary school in Breifne College and his mother paid for a private bus for them from Kilnaleck. This isn’t new, it has always been going on.

“We are determined this time, after 40 plus years we won’t stay quiet any longer. We will keep going until someone with a bit of sense puts their hand on this ongoing problem throughout Ireland. Our kids should not have to go through this just for a bus to school. Parents should not have to pay this huge bill and stress should not be a factor in getting kids to school.”