Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her presence. It is very important that we have this discussion. There is absolutely no doubt that school transport provides a really pivotal role in the day-to-day life of many families right across the country, my constituency included. The population is growing, and the geography of our communities is expanding.

In the case of my constituency, which includes a large population in Swords, we must ensure that service is adequately provided to children relying on school transport to get to school every day. I urge the Minister of State, as others have done, to publish the review of phases 2 and 3 of the school transport system at the earliest opportunity, which will, of course, underpin our ability to build a sustainable transport scheme for children throughout the country.

I echo some of the comments of my colleagues, particularly Deputy Higgins, outlining the unique challenges of some students. A student with an additional need and physical disability was sanctioned for a service but no seat or bus was actually available. That really regrettable situation has, unfortunately, been replicated across the country. This leads me to the point I would like to make most strenuously, which is that we must ensure the tender process employed results in a reliable service. Adequate and demonstrable evidence must be given by providers to ensure they are in the position to deliver the service when it is needed, for example, having regard to driver shortages after the contract has been awarded, as has happened in my constituency, which I am sure the Minister of State and Members will accept is one of the most frustrating things to occur. People get over the hurdle of getting the ticket in the first place only to discover there is not a service available.

I also believe consideration should be given to how restrictions are placed on the distance to the school, particularly when it comes to gaelscoileanna and gaelcholaistí. In large population centres, the closest school might not have availability for a large number of children. In the case of a couple of children in Swords, their selected gaelcholáiste was Coláiste Ghlór na Mara in Balbriggan, only for them to be told that Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Dublin 13 is actually their local gaelcholáiste. By geography and distance, yes, it is, but Balbriggan is actually closer in journey time and avoiding traffic among other things. An element of flexibility needs to be built in but it should not be a free-for-all. There are unique geographic circumstances at play across the country. We need to be able to recognise that, quite apart from the fact that Coláiste Ghlór na Mara is a relatively new school whereas Gaelcholáiste Reachrann is still languishing in prefabs almost a decade after it is supposed to have gotten a new building. It is fair to say that the school bus service as provided is absolutely fantastic when the buses show up and people have a ticket. Unfortunately, however, as is the case with many public services from time to time, when mistakes happen or errors or delays occur, it can be fairly catastrophic for the children in question.

The Minister of State knows my constituency, which she visited not too long ago. It is a large geographic community with five major towns and five minor towns. There is quite a distance between some of them while others are joined together. At the same time, we must take cognisance of the fact that my constituency, not unlike the rest of the country, has large geographic spreads between it and different requirements both in terms of the Irish language medium but also non-religious education. That is something I would like the Minister of State to consider and put to the Department.

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