Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Government's decision to review and revise the regulation on eligibility for school transport. The bus pass travel scheme has been a shambles for years. The scheme is not fit for purpose and needs a radical overhaul. From my experience across Tipperary, the scheme is riddled with anomalies and inconsistencies.

The rigid interpretation of rules and regulations has deprived hundreds of children of access to school transport. Refusal to grant a bus pass causes embarrassment and inconvenience and places a financial burden on parents struggling with the cost of living. Every September we have chaos, with a scramble for tickets which, in many cases, across Tipperary and the country, becomes divisive and contentious.

Also, the chronic shortage of professional bus drivers is an established contributor to the sufficient provision of places on school buses. It is inexplicable that a qualified bus driver over 70 cannot drive a school run but the same driver can travel with a private bus throughout Europe. This nonsense must stop. We need these drivers in rural Ireland to allow bus providers maintain a service. Standing down healthy qualified experienced careful drivers is illogical. It is an outdated ageist policy by Bus Éireann that should and must be scrapped.

When does the Tánaiste expect a report from the review?

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