Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We could almost set our watches at this point for when the phones will start ringing and the emails will start coming in with school transport queries. This year was no different. In many ways, it is becoming Groundhog Day. Year in and year out, there are issues with the school transport scheme. While the €50 million is welcome, as would be any investment in school transport, we need to tackle the fundamental flaws in the scheme. It is not only Deputies on this side of the House who are raising this issue. The Minister's party colleagues are raising cases in their constituencies involving pupils who had concessionary tickets for years and are suddenly unable to get a seat on the school bus. This does not only apply to those with concessionary tickets.

I have given umpteen examples over the past few months of issues with this scheme but I will repeat one of them involving a granny driving from Clare to Dublin to mind one twin while the other could get the school bus. It is an absolute shambles and it is causing profound pressure on families. Everybody wants this scheme to work, none more so than the parents who are reliant on it. For that to happen, the review that has been ongoing for two and a half years needs to be published and actioned.

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