Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will outline one issue, although I will not ask a question about it. The Inclusion Ireland representatives said they are due to meet the Department again shortly. I have engaged widely with people on school transport. I ask the representatives to highlight to the Department that a number of people hold private contracts for school transport that have not been renewed. They are operating the services again but are waiting for the Department to give them new contracts, which is putting them in a very difficult position. Inclusion Ireland needs to bring that up with the Department. I will certainly also do so. It needs to be flagged. A great number of people in the private sector are running services at a loss based on their previous contract and the Government is not engaging with regard to giving them additional resources or revised contracts to allow them to operate profitably.