Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo Deputy Byrne's comments on children in special classes and ASD units. These children have had to go without speech and occupational therapy, movement breaks and psychological supports since 12 March. I know of a child who gets up every morning, puts on her coat and schoolbag and goes to the front door to wait for a taxi that will never arrive. That is heartbreaking. I cannot even begin to imagine the distress that girl and her family go through every day. These children, their parents, guardians and families deserve better than this. I appreciate the Minister's comments on July provision and trying to facilitate that. I also appreciate that the Minister believes that there are possible solutions here, provided that social distancing is adhered to, but given that the Minister can see that chink of light or that possibility, I ask him to go a step further. Given that there are no more than six children in any classroom at any time, subject to all public health guidelines, can the Minister see a way to allow children who are enrolled in ASD units and special classes to return to school as soon as possible, if not immediately?

The other issue that I would like to raise has been aired frequently in this Chamber in the past, namely, school transport. Last year in my own constituency of Cork South-West in the areas of Ballineen and Enniskeane, 18 students were left without a place on school buses. That is an entire classroom's worth of students who were left without seats because of the rigid and ridiculous rules governing the current school transport scheme. I have heard from constituents who are considering moving their entrance so that they can avail of the scheme. I have heard of children being left at the side of the road, crying, while their classmates are driven away on the bus. This is absolutely infuriating for the students and their parents. Neither the Department of Education and Skills nor Bus Éireann should be dictating where a child goes to school. We need a proper, functioning school transport scheme that resolves the problems I have just talked about.

We also need a scheme that improves sustainability and traffic flow. I know of a scenario in west Cork where a child is availing of the school bus while their neighbour is driven to school in their parent's car and follows directly behind the bus. This type of scenario has led to significant congestion and traffic problems in towns like Bandon in my own constituency. We really need to move away from this system as soon as possible. I ask the Minister to begin a complete overhaul of the current school transport scheme.

Will he do away with the rigid rules of the transport scheme and allow for some type of discretion, which is what families are looking for? Will he also begin planning for social distancing? For example, if a 52-seat bus is serving a route, we do not know if it will be allowed to have full occupancy, with 52 students, or if it will be cut to 50%. Will there be enough buses to provide school transport for each and every one of the children who deserve it?

See this speech in context