David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his kind remarks and selecting this topic and I thank the Minister for being here to discuss it with me. The Minister is very familiar with the area I am talking about in Cobh and Carrigtwohill. There are two fine secondary schools in Cobh but there are six primary schools, one of which has 120 students in sixth class alone. Over the years, there have been issues with capacity in Cobh, which is something the Minister might ask her officials to look at again with respect to the need to expand schools or even build a new school in time.

Over the years, a number of students went to Carrigtwohill, which is where the next nearest school is located. As the Minister said earlier, if schools are full, students are allowed to use the free transport scheme to travel to the next nearest school. That is something I would like to tease out. Some students are in third or transition year or are going into the leaving certificate years. Until now, they managed with the transport that was available. A lot of parents are able to drive. The Minister of State, Deputy Pippa Hackett, is present. There are more cars on the road that we should have.

The cost of transport is horrendous. One parent told me it costs her €500 per annum for her child to go to school. The Minister said earlier it costs €75 per annum for the school bus scheme, which is a big saving for families. Parents have applied for the scheme but are awaiting a response. We can imagine the stress that girls, in particular, face travelling a distance with being guaranteed a lift home in the evening. Parents are trying to get off work or are arranging spins with other parents. The bus service that is available is expensive and there is a 45-minute wait for girls in the winter time. It is a bit of a mess.

Parents want a simple solution. I understand it is within the gift of the Minister or Department to sanction a bus service from Cobh to Carrigtwohill which is, I am told, 15 minutes or 10 km. That would solve the problem. There are enough students to justify the service. Parents have contacted me and other colleagues about this. They are upset, worried and distraught. They need support from the Department.

It is not realistic to ask a student to leave one school and move to another during the leaving certificate cycle. The subjects may not align and, in this case, they do not. One school teaches German but another in Cobh does not. It is a problem that needs a resolution. This has been an issue for quite a number of years and is causing a lot of stress. The solution is fairly straightforward. The number of students to justify the service is there. I quoted a figure of 50 in my Topical Issue question but the number may be higher because a number of students travel by car, which puts parents under extra stress. Some parents do not drive and are begging for spins and lifts from other parents, which is not on.

There is no regular public transport to Carrigtwohill from Cobh , which is difficult, even though it is only 15 minutes away. I ask the Minister to examine this issue. I hope in her response she will tell me that. These children will be going to the second nearest school. Some children applied to schools in Cobh three years ago and were told there was no space. There were 120 pupils on a waiting list at one stage. Students went to a school in Carrigtwohill and I do not think it would be realistic to ask them to change back to Cobh. Even if they could, they probably would not be able to do so. The other place they can go to is Passage West which is on the other side of the harbour. One parent told me that requires six different journeys, comprising ferries, trains, buses and God knows what else. Such a journey is not feasible. In the long term, the Minister needs to examine overall capacity in Cobh but in the short term, for next September, she needs to provide a bus service for the students.

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