Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Some parents in Kilkenny have conducted a survey on the matter of seat utilisation. The hoarding of seats is a big issue in rural Ireland, where I come from. I am talking about seats in respect of which tickets have been allocated. I have received answers on this from Bus Éireann on several occasions. Seats are being allocated but are not being used; they are being hoarded. The survey to which I refer was conducted for a month earlier this year on the bus that brings children from Paulstown to Kilkenny. It was found that on every day of the survey, 11 seats were available on the bus - going in and coming home - and seven children were left on the side of the road. The parents did this survey themselves. The 11 seats that were not being used were being hoarded, perhaps by parents who were bringing their children to school on their way to work. Perhaps they keep these seats for rainy days on which they cannot bring their children to school. Something should be done about such terrible practices. Seven children are being passed and left on the side of the road, even though there are 11 empty seats on the bus from Paulstown to Kilkenny. I am just giving an example. I do not mean to mention my own area all the time. It is a crying disgrace to see 11 seats being left empty as the bus goes in and out, while seven children are left on the side of the road. This survey was carried out over the course of a month. It found that on average, ten or 11 seats were empty every single day. Bus Éireann or the Department should wake up and do something about this. If a seat is not used over a period of two or three weeks, it should be taken off the person who is not using it. Some allowances can be made. Parents are keeping these seats to use them on a rainy day when they are not going into Kilkenny for a work day or something like that. I am not saying I know what the situation is. It is a disgrace that 11 seats were continuously available for a month without being used, while seven children were left on the side of the road. Something should be done about it.