Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My next point relates to concessionary passes for school buses. While I acknowledge that schools are not open at the moment, a large volume of students this year have not yet been able to reconcile the difficulties they have had with Bus Éireann with regard to school transport. It remains a big issue and I am glad a national review is under way, into which Bus Éireann will have significant input. Its staff have probably been pulled 100 ways by the public and public representatives.

As an example, Corofin in north Clare is a typical Irish village. Mr. Kent may or may not know it. It is quite close to the Burren. As one leaves the village, one can see the typical typography that is around any village, such as streams, dykes and ditches, and they form the parish boundaries. They are the very parish boundaries that become the hard cut-off point between a student qualifying or not for a ticket; it is totally illogical. This probably worked in the 1940s and 1950s, when buses started to be seen going down rural roads. They would pass people going to the local creamery and the parish boundary was a drain or a stream.

It is totally illogical in 2021. It forces some people to go three miles one way to a primary school, while the crèche or childminder might be six miles across the Burren, and then they have to drive to Ennistymon school afterwards. It is illogical that large numbers of people pass one another unnecessarily on the road each morning, and that is just one example, although it could probably be applied to every village in Ireland. The case of Corofin is replicated throughout Clare and Ireland. The new model for school bus transport has to be based on supply and demand. If there are five or six kids in a community, that should logically dictate that there be a stop. It should not come down to streams, drains and ditches; that does not work. I would like to hear Mr. Kent's views on that.

With regard to the overall bus service, I accept that Bus Éireann is constantly seeking to enhance its offering to villages and communities. I recently made a number of submissions to the company, particularly regarding the south Clare area, such as Parteen, Meelick, Ardnacrusha, Clonlara and Cratloe. They are in the south of the county, a stone's throw from Limerick city, but they do not enjoy the fabulous city bus service that operates into the north suburbs of the city. As Bus Éireann examines rolling out an improvement in the service, it might also factor in these villages. The two most recent censuses identified this corner of Clare as the largest population growth area.

I would like to hear the views of Mr. Kent in respect of the prospects for an orbital bus service around Ennis town, as raised by other members. It is the largest town in Munster that does not have city status and is home to 18,500 people. There is a significant hunger and demand for a bus service there. Just last week, Ms Anne Graham of the NTA gave some positive vibes when I asked her about this issue.