Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have had chats with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, on this. It is not such a big deal in a city environment, but in a rural area it is fantastic to see a Bus Éireann coach pull up and drop off 50 children at a school, but it is devastating to see the coach leave the rural area and return empty to the depot. I do not know if it is feasible, but I have been asking the Minister, Deputy Foley, whether, the minute it fulfils its drop-off, as it is still in contract and it goes back to the Bus Éireann depot, the coach can become a rural bus service on the way back in. My local area has no bus service and it would mean there would be a 9.20 a.m. pick-up for someone elderly who might want to get into town, who could be dropped back again around 2.50 p.m.. In an era of sustainability and everyone trying to put their best foot forward, it makes very little sense that a bus goes fully loaded to the school gate but leaves it empty. Has there been any talk about having some joined-up thinking here so that the bus could fulfil another duty as it pulls away from the school gate?