‘Urgent action’ needed on school bus ‘chaos’

DEBATE Minister accused of being a “one act play” on climate change

“Urgent action” is being demanded by a local councillor to the ticketing “chaos” that has left hundreds of school-going children without bus seats following the Government’s decision to suspend fees for the 2022/2023 academic year.

One solution put forward by Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley, was that Bus Éireann add more places for children by engaging with “local bus companies”.

“They are ready and willing and able,” he said, but have yet to receive a call.

Cllr Feeley’s motion called on the Minister for Education and Bus Éireann to take “urgent action to ensure that there are adequate spaces on school transport to accommodate everyone who previously had a place including those with discretionary tickets and that the criteria for school transport be urgently reviewed”.

According to Bus Éireann, the problem with regards the issuing of concessionary tickets arose, after the Government suspended fees but did not amend other criteria for the scheme.

The result is that students living in towns closer to a secondary school, but who in the past may have travelled using alternative means, have now been given priority for seat placement.

Under the terms of the Department’s Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport only where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school as determined, also having regard to ethos and language.

Independent Councillor Brendan Fay supported Cllr Feeley’s motion.

He described the current situation facing families of school going children as “complete chaos”.

There were, he claimed, children abandoned “at the side of the road” due to what had happened, and accused Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, of being a “one act play” on climate change.

“He goes on about emissions, about bogs, and all of that, but does he even think about parents having to drive children now to school twice a day? Does he think about the gridlock that has caused, the additional traffic on the roads?” asked Cllr Fay, who said he had mothers of children “crying” down the phone about the additional stress the loss of a concessionary ticket had caused to some families.

He suggested a need for better joined-up thinking, whereby the Department of Education and Department of Transport/ Bus Éireann should resolve to figure out how many seats would be needed “year on year”.

“It could be calculated easily,” he suggested.

Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly also supported the motion, saying that “every year there is a panic” when it comes to school bus tickets. “It’s a disgraceful situation,” he lambasted.

Party colleague Sean Smith called it “unjust”, adding that the criteria for attendances at schools hadn’t been updated since Donogh O’Malley served as Minister for Education from 1966 to 1968.

“It’s high time there was change. [The current rules] are not practicable, not feasible, and it’s not sensible to be leaving children by the sides of roads.”

Fine Gael’s TP O’Reilly agreed, supporting calls for a review to be carried out, which Cllr Feeley outlined was already underway.

Sinn Féin’s Paddy McDonald meanwhile noted that parents were “at their wits’ end”, with support too for the motion from Trevor Smith (FG), Patricia Walsh (FF), and Philip Brady (FF).