Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I presume changes to the scheme will be in place for September 2023.

I will raise a situation that arises in the townland in which I live, where a cluster of students are attending their second-nearest school in Cavan town. There are four secondary schools in that town. Historically, students in the area where I live have gone to Cavan town rather than the nearest school in Ballyjamesduff. They are only seen as concessionary students but if they avail of a concessionary ticket, they have to travel up to 4 km to get the bus, which means there are maybe ten or 12 parents who are dropping students off to the bus at a distance of 4 km, returning home, and then again travelling 4 km to the bus and returning home. Parents are travelling a lot, which means fuel costs and extra traffic on the road, if we take climate action concerns into consideration. Will the Department consider expanding the scheme where there is a cluster of students who would traditionally be seen as concessionary-based students? I live in the Kilnaleck area of Cavan, where this issue is arising. I am sure it arises in other areas too.

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