Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating this debate on school transport and small schools in general.

I acknowledge and fully appreciate the difficulties regarding this issue and the present proposals for changes to school transport schemes have been inherited by the present Government.

The problem with the proposals is that the new charges will place a further burden on young families that are already under severe financial pressure to make ends meet and keep a roof over their heads. The removal of eligibility under the closed school rule will have an especially devastating effect on rural areas, particularly the increase from the current minimum of seven to ten children for the establishment or retention of services.

In Tuosist there is an excellent national school run by an excellent principal and staffed by excellent teachers who provide a solid education in this rural area. There are 73 pupils at the school, with 43 from outside the catchment area, seven from inside the eligible area, while the others live inside the 3.2 kilometre radius, making them ineligible for free transport. Their parents must pay €200 per pupil for the concessionary ticket.

In the townland of Dromuchty in the parish of Tuosist, I met a young family with young children, some of whom now go to the national school in Tuosist. If these changes are made, the younger children must go to the national school in Kenmare, because it is nearer. We have nothing against the school in Kenmare but there has always been a cherished tradition that when a small child went to school, an older sibling would be there to take him by the hand and mind him if he was afraid. That bit of comfort existed not just for the first few days, but for the first few months. Problems further down the line could be helped by having an older sibling in the school. This, however, will split families down the middle, with some going one way and some the other. Then, parents will be trying to drive children to school while working hard to pay for the increased charges they face. They are being asked to drive some children one way, some the other while they are supposed to drive to work to pay for the charges they must now face. This situation will be replicated across the country, with thousands of families affected.

Another problem is the short timeframe. Many schools only received notification on 20 March that they had an opportunity to apply for new passengers, on behalf of new infants, and the deadline was 31 March. Many of these schools will not have children enrolling until just before the summer holidays in May or June.

Will the Minister of State reconsider the proposed charging for a service that was free until now and which provided an excellent service to the rural school-going population? More important, will he increase the current minimum of eligible children for the retention of services? In light of an ongoing Government review of small primary schools, which also worries me, I contend that the school transport service gives value for money and is the last remaining lifeline for hundreds of rural communities and schools.

The success of the rural transport initiative, where value for money is of paramount importance, is a model I recommend the Minister of State considers when making decisions on school transport. In these difficult times we must have value for money, but how do we place a monetary value on a vibrant community? In many rural areas, the school is the only remaining focal point; the creameries, pubs, shops and post offices are gone. Please do not take away our rural schools as well. We have lost enough and do not want to lose any more.

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