Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, but I must say it is exceptionally disappointing. It is disgraceful that the Department has not looked at the particular circumstances of this case and changed its approach. It is over two months since I raised this matter on the floor of the Dáil with the Minister of State. I genuinely thought it was well within the capacity of the Department, the Minister and the Minister of State to look at it and resolve it. Unfortunately, that is not the case and, with other councillors and Members of the Oireachtas, I had to attend a public meeting last night with parents from the Urris area and parents of the affected students. They continue to fight the case because the Department, the Minister and the Minister of State have not seen sense. The Minister of State has admitted on the floor of the Dáil today that Bus Éireann made a mistake in not applying the rules three years ago, yet he is telling students who have completed first, second and third year that if they are to continue in their current school, Carndonagh community school, they will have to pay for school transport. This was a mistake made by Bus Éireann and the Department. They should admit to it and, at a minimum, waive the fee for the students involved. In doing so it would not affect precedent.

The other issue that must be addressed is that the Department is using a mountain pass in deciding what school the students should attend. On 29 April I sent the Minister of State a video a parent had made showing the route five weeks before the end of the school term. There was snow on this mountain pass.

The Minister of State refuses to acknowledge and to change an unfair and inequitable transport scheme to ensure situations like this can be corrected.

See this speech in context