Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I again raise the issue of school bus transport, which has been a huge problem in recent months. Thankfully, the Minister for Education recently announced she was going to introduce a system whereby children who had been on a concessionary ticket last year or who had been entitled to concessionary travel in the past would be allowed on a bus this year, with a provision put in place for that. However, my understanding, from speaking to the organisers of school transport on the ground, is that this is not happening and that one of the reasons for that is they have been told there have to be ten or more children with concessionary tickets on the bus. Most of the buses are mini-buses and there might be only 15 to 20 children on them anyway and, therefore, that would mean half of them would have to have concessionary tickets. If that rule is being applied, it simply will not work. Will the Minister get clarity on that? It is vital that every child who has a concessionary ticket and needs a school bus seat will get one.

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