Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the matter of tests for young drivers. The tests are seriously delayed in Kerry. A young fellow who has organised a job in Cork but cannot drive there will lose the job. A young farmer who wants to go to the farmers' course in Clonakilty but is waiting for months for a driving test cannot go to Clonakilty. The same story applies to youngsters going to colleges. They cannot drive because they cannot get their driving test.

The public health team's decision that school buses can only operate at 50% capacity has created pandemonium and uproar all over Kerry, in Gneeveguilla, Rathmore, Killorglin, Cahirsiveen or wherever it may be. People are stranded. Many parents were not sure were the schools going to open on 1 September and had not paid for tickets. Anyone who paid after that date is left standing at the side of the road, waiting for the new buses to come on. Before the decision was made to limit buses to 50% capacity, the Government should have ensured that double the amount of buses were going to run. That has not happened and children have been left on the side of the road in all the places I have mentioned.

Deputy Murnane O'Connor mentioned the over 70s. I have known about this rule for a long time. It is hard to get drivers for school buses now. The exclusion of the over 70s is not a State rule but was brought in by Bus Éireann whereby when one reaches 70 years of age, one cannot drive a Bus Éireann or school bus. I will mention Tom O'Shea and Willie Sweeney from Kilgarvan who would drive a bus to any part of the world and are now left behind because of this stupid rule.

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