Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was beginning to think in recent times that she had taken up employment with Bus Éireann. On a more serious note, there is a problem which needs to be addressed. I acknowledge that Mr. Kent is taking this on board. If we were looking at this problem from a business perspective, this should not be happening. If there were problems last year that are being repeated this year, that is not good enough. It is not down to the staff working in Bus Éireann. It is down to the workload.

In regard to the problem in Scoil Mhuire in Latton, we met the inspector and she was very helpful, but her hands were tied in that the way the school transport scheme is designed seems to be very rigid. Three buses carry students from different parts of the parish to the school. What is very annoying and frustrating is that there is capacity available on all three buses, yet the buses pass by children who are waiting on the roadside. On the first day back at school, a Bus Éireann inspector refused children access to the bus and they were left standing on the side of the road. These same children were accommodated last year. They had paid their money and contacted Bus Éireann and yet they were refused access. Imagine the effect of that on a child who sees his or her pals on the bus but him or her left on the side of the road? That is very insensitive. It never should have got to that position.

There are serious problems with the scheme. We need to be honest and admit that the scheme as designed is not working and we need to fix it. That is why I will be looking forward to the response to the review.

On the question of the transport of children with special needs, surely it is desirable that all children, where possible and practical if they are going to a mainstream school, should be accommodated on the bus. Surely it is better for a child with special educational needs and his or her school friends to be on the same bus? Will the witnesses share their opinion on that? We raised this issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, last year and he promised to look into it. Unfortunately, we are now having the same conversation. I attended a meeting where the parents from the school in Latton gave an outline of how they felt when their child was left on the side of the road. It was heartbreaking to listen to them. These people are trying to do their best, but with both parents working, they are dependent on school transport and they could do without the stress and trauma of their child not being accommodated on the bus.

We can discuss the issue of school transport until the cows come home. The scheme is not working and we need to admit that to ourselves. We need to design the scheme so that every single child in rural Ireland who wants to go to school is accommodated on school buses. That is our starting point. If we make that our starting point, we will not be back here next year.