Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

School bus transport is a very important issue, especially in rural Ireland. It is very important for families. It is also important when we are talking about carbon emissions and everything else. There are two big problems in this area. One is that people over 70 are not allowed to drive school buses, even if they are medically fit. This has been raised here by me and many other people for the past two years. It would be a simple measure to allow people, where they have been certified by a doctor, to continue working, because it is an issue of ageism and everything else.

The other issue is that the Government gave out free bus tickets after Covid. Many of those were not used. Seats on buses are empty while people cannot get places for their children on the same buses. This needs tweaking and joined-up thinking, and those two small measures would have a huge impact and help many families who are struggling to get access to school transport.

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