Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I echo what Deputy Calleary said. It is vitally important that there is good engagement, not just with Bus Éireann but with the private operators on whom we rely enormously. They are under big pressure in the same way as hauliers and others, and it is important that there is engagement and that they get the support and assistance they need.

There were improvements to the school transport scheme last year, but there are still outstanding knotty issues relating to routes in particular. It comes back to what Deputy Ó Ríordáin has been saying about the Department needing to show some vision. This is the big issue, along with solar panels on schools, that the Department can address in respect of climate change. We should be working towards a situation where every child does not have to travel to school in a car. Ideally, they would walk or cycle, but if that is not possible, they should get a publicly-funded bus service. That is the vision the Department must show in school transport in the short to medium term. Every child who wants a place on a school bus should get it.

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