Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the guests for coming in. I apologise for being late. I am also on the enterprise committee and was at a meeting of that committee. However, I read the written submissions yesterday.

I am a mam of two kids who use the bus. I am very lucky in that the bus goes from the top of my lane. It is fantastic. We have an amazing bus driver, also called Linda. I would like to mention her because she is not only a bus driver. She makes sure every child gets on and off the bus and she makes sure schoolbags are not forgotten when children are getting off the bus. If they are, she puts a picture up on a WhatsApp group to let us know. She ensures the children have their football gear. If every child gets on in the morning with a camogie stick and helmet and Linda sees a child without these, she will ask that child whether they need them that day. She is like an extra parent in the mornings and afternoon. I give recognition to Linda. She is on the Bective–Bellinter–Kilmessan route in County Meath.

What Linda deserves is a decent bus. I looked at the app and saw a message from her on 19 June stating the bus was broken down and apologising for not being able to go. On 13 November, there was also message stating the bus could not go and that parents would have to bring the children themselves. It was the same on 17 November, 28 November and 30 May. Linda is a gem. I am sure many bus drivers around the country are gems but this lady is the only one I deal with. Our children are our precious cargo and future and they deserve to be able to go to school in proper buses.

Three weeks ago, I recorded my daughter talking about how all the children had to sit at the back of the bus because the door would not close on it and in case someone fell out at the front. I will not play the recording to protect her privacy. The journey was from Kilmessan back to my lane. That is not good enough. I totally appreciate that the Department is under budgetary constraints but that is not good enough for our kids. I urge those concerned to ensure schoolchildren get better quality buses. I know we have a rule that buses should not be older than 20 years but they do not need to be that old. We need more mechanics. I know the Department is looking for mechanics. I have first-hand experience of this matter and realise things need to change.

In my opinion, school transport is unbelievable value, although I realise everybody has different means. As far as I am aware, the school bus fee is €50. If this went up by €10, €15 or €20, how many more buses could be added or how much more could be done to improve buses? I never really advocate increasing the cost of anything and have just come out of an enterprise committee meeting at which I was trying to reduce costs for businesses, but I just wonder whether it would help with getting more buses if those who could afford it spent a little more.

My last point is one I have made to the Minister for education and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education. I am on the board of a special school in Navan and see what the principal and vice principal do every morning co-ordinating the buses and bus escorts. It is a job in itself. Literally from 6 a.m., messages come in, sometimes about bus escorts being sick. There are children who cannot go to school until a bus escort is on the bus. I have requested that we run a pilot scheme for a transport manager within a certain area to co-ordinate buses for special schools. St. Ultan's School, Navan, has 21 buses going to it in the morning and St. Mary's Special School, Navan, has 20. If there were one person who could do the co-ordination even just for those two schools, taking the responsibility away from the principals and vice principals, it would be great. I am aware that the principals get a percentage towards co-ordination but they would probably appreciate what I suggest rather than the money.

I had a really good conversation in my office with a guy who drives one of the buses and who has a bus escort on his bus. He absolutely loves his job. Of all the jobs he has done in his life, this is his favourite. When a school breaks up for summer, Easter and Christmas, it can take up to five weeks for a driver to get social welfare. I realise the representatives present are not from the Department of social welfare but I wonder whether they need to have a little chat with that Department to see whether we can get social welfare or the jobseeker's allowance quicker for the drivers, who do a vital job, so they will not have to wait for five weeks. Do they have to be means-tested every year? Every year, they must fill out forms requesting the exact same information.