Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am well aware of and understand the cost of school transport which is considerable and needs to be addressed. To go back to the original points I made, the practicalities of the situation also need to be addressed where a half empty school bus passes by a person's house but that person is not picked and may have to walk a considerable distance to reach to a pick up point for the school to which he or she must go. There are considerable health and safety issues involved when school children of 12 to 15 years of age must walk along country roads in the dark and on wet mornings and evenings. This is a concern for people in rural Ireland, in particular.

A student may now not be able to go to the school of his or her choice. Subject choices may not be available in his or her nearest school and it could impact on what he or she wishes to do in the future. The issue of siblings is not addressed. The second child in a family may want to go to the same school as the first child but he or she may not be able to go down that particular road. He or she will not be able to use the same books, which will involve extra costs, and uniforms might also have to be purchased.

While I understand the rationale and the economics behind this, perhaps we should deal with the practicalities of it. In regard to the concessionary situation, I understand hundreds of students are affected. We are now three or four weeks into the school year and something should be done to address their concerns.

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