Dáil debates

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Future of School Education: Motion [Private Members]

 

9:35 pm

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have good reason to focus my time on classroom sizes in Meath, as we have the highest in Ireland in Ashbourne, or on school buildings. Lismullen national school, for example, is one of the oldest and in the most urgent need of address. However, I wish to focus my comments on access. The future of education has to be one of public and active transport. That must the way of the future as it makes sense with or without Covid-19. We must get children walking or cycling or on the bus and out of cars. That said, there are areas that urgently need to be addressed. Many schools have no footpath access to the front door. One in five reported this to be the case in a recent Green-Schools survey.

It is clear that we must support and expand our school transport system. I urge the Minister to meet representatives of the school bus transport sector. They were out in droves protesting today. They have been treated very badly during the pandemic. Many were left without any State supports and they are on their knees. The Government's back-to-school roadmap did not contain enough detail for them. The operators I spoke to today still have a range of questions. They want to know what obligations will be placed on them with regard to loading and unloading buses. For example, will it be left to them to police the proposed compulsory seating arrangements? In terms of the funding announced, there is very little detail about how the €11 million will be allocated. Time is precious as we only have four weeks.

It is clear that a comprehensive, long-term strategy for school transport is long overdue. The service has been eroded over the years. I refer to what is happening with concessionary passes, for example. The service has been hollowed out and this must stop. We must address it and a step change is needed now.

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