Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

I have questions for Bus Éireann, the NTA and Go-Ahead Ireland. I would be here for an hour, if I could. Anyway, I will get started.

School transport has descended into chaos. There is no doubt about it. They are delivering on 178,000. Let Bus Éireann not think I am here being negative. Bus Éireann delivers services every day of the week. I want to say its staff are excellent and its teams are good. I am not being negative, but the problem with school transport is that the 178,000 to whom the service is being delivered are happy as they have a ticket but there are a good few thousand out there who do not get a ticket. There is no God-given right to a ticket, but there is no reason they should not get one. I will give Mr. Kent a few ideas.

This year has been no different from mid-August onwards. My office has been inundated, I presume the same as every other politician, with calls from distressed parents unsure how their children will get to school. The system is broken and, to be honest, the lack of communication from Bus Éireann and the Department of education is nothing short of disgraceful. Let me outline a few of the cases. One family applied through the online portal. The system kept logging them in and out. They received a ticket for one child but not for their other two children even though all three were eligible previously, and now. After trying the helpline, they were told to use a different device. Eventually, they were informed there were no seats available. These children are eligible but, through no fault of their own, have no way to get to school.

An issue in Ballinadee, west Cork, was raised in the Dáil last week. Parents were notified on the day of the pick-up that no bus would arrive. This went on for weeks. I sent representations to Bus Éireann and there was no reply. I contacted the Minister. There was only an acknowledgement. It was only when I demanded time in the Dáil to raise the issue and was finally able to speak on it that something got sorted. It was the same in Kilcoe in west Cork, where there are 13 children who are trying to get to Schull Community College. They are concessionary, but there is a 45-seat bus on that route with a lot of empty seats. Why are they not being used? Last Friday, nearly a month into the school year, I finally received an answer from Bus Éireann on several cases. What is the point of public representatives contacting Bus Éireann through Oireachtas channels if we cannot get basic answers?

I have questions on the NTA that I will probably have to leave until later. The following are the questions I have for Bus Éireann. Who is accountable for the failures in the school transport system? Will Bus Éireann help the children in, for example, the Kilcoe, west Cork area to get transport to school? Why are eligible children being left without transport due to system errors and poor communication? Why are there no contingency plans for concessionary students when buses have empty seats? Why are public representatives ignored when raising urgent cases? That is a very serious question that needs answering. Why is there no communication channel? There used to be but it is gone. It is closed solid. There is no such thing as maybe it happens and maybe it does not; it does not. Is it time for new leadership in the school transport section?

There was also talk of loss of drivers. We have been appealing on the issue of the drivers aged over 70. It looks as if the Minister is kicking the can over to Bus Éireann. Mr. Kent stated Bus Éireann needs 2,000 drivers. There are a lot of drivers over 70 who are healthier than any of us here. They can provide a medical certificate. Why has Bus Éireann not progressed that to the point of being able to give these people the right to drive a school bus? They drive buses during the day all right, bringing all the same kids to swimming, for instance, but they cannot provide school transport. The current system is not fit for purpose. It is failing families, children and communities. I am calling for a full review of the school transport scheme with clear accountability, better communication and a commitment to putting children first.

I will leave the remainder of my questions until later. I will concentrate on these.