Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He outlined the positive side. Every day, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, is inundated with requests for new classrooms to be added to existing schools. One of the reasons such requests are made is that pupils come to the school from outside the area. Does the Minister tell those parents and teachers to tell those children not to go to that school in order that there would be no problem with overcrowding? No, he does not. The same approach should be taken with regard to the provision of school bus transport.

Gaelscoil Thomáis Dáibhís is in a major catchment area. Mallow is a growing town and I accept that it is sprawling. Payment as such is not a problem. The Minister of State mentioned there were late applications, of which I was not aware, but I am sure this can be addressed. One way of addressing it is to open the programme sooner, in conjunction with the schools and Bus Éireann, to know in advance what numbers are projected to attend each school and from where the children are coming. Then we would not have Bus Éireann telling parents one or two days before the school opens that their children will not have a place on the bus for the coming year. We need to overcome these issues and forward planning and forward thinking are needed.

Many parents accept the circumstance. Bus services have been working positively for a number of years. A bus was put in place for Gaelscoil Thomáis Dáibhís to overcome planning difficulties and travelling congestion at the other major schools in the same catchment area. I acknowledge the offer of the Minister of State to speak on the issue but it is a problem. More than 20 children have been disenfranchised and more than 40 adults have been affected with regard to getting to work.

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