Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are massive issues with school transport. There has been a 22% increase in the number of tickets allocated but, in some cases, there are no buses to operate the service. Last year, funding was put in place to increase capacity but loads of children were left without a seat. Some families in Carlow tell me there is no driver to serve a central location. They have to wait for a bus when it would be quicker for them to stay in the car and drive ahead with the child to school. There does not seem to be joined-up thinking. I know of a family in which two of the children got tickets and one did not. I really do not understand how that can happen. There are often empty seats on buses that pass by the homes of students who were not allocated a ticket. While this may be a temporary situation, there is no waiting list for such children to be offered that seat on that day to help take the pressure off their parents and reduce car traffic. Sometimes, a bus might have a full allocation of seats but some students might not take up their place. Those seats are often left empty for weeks. We need a joined-up approach between the Department, Bus Éireann and schools. That is not happening. I could give loads of examples but I will refer to one I am working on at the moment. A parent in my constituency contacted me to say a child was allocated a concessionary ticket but did not get a place. The bus passes right by the family's door. The school is in the small village of Gowran in County Kilkenny, near the Carlow border. There is a bus going to the Kilkenny school but this family cannot access it. The same family cannot access public transport to any of the secondary schools in Carlow. I am worn out from contacting the Department about it. Like so many parents, I am still waiting for a response. The second level school in Gowran was closed in 2005. There is no public transport route for pupils. It is a huge issue.

Another issue with school transport provision in Carlow is that there are not enough drivers to accommodate the increase in students. I have parents telling me about children being left behind on the road waiting for State-supported services because there is oversubscription. The age restriction on drivers is mentioned often and I just cannot understand how it is happening. There are people over 70 who are fit, healthy and willing to drive the school buses. A number of men and women aged over 70 have come to me who are in the full of their health. They are willing to take medical and eye tests and do anything the Department wants to prove their fitness. They would love to continue doing what they are doing. The part-time work suits them and gets them out of the house. They have been doing it for years. However, the Department is adamant that such people will not be allowed to drive a school bus, as stated in a letter I got back from it.

I am really concerned about these issues. While I know the Minister of State is trying to do her best, there is something seriously wrong with the school transport system and it has been going on too long. Every summer, we all get the telephone calls and we are worn out trying to contact Bus Éireann. We are not getting the feedback we should be getting. It would be a good idea to put school transport provision under the remit of the Department of Transport. Something needs to be done because what we have is not working. I ask the Minister of State to go back and see what can be done for the parents about whom I have contacted her, her Department and Bus Éireann. I am contacting everybody. I really need something to be done.

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