David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the response. The last point is really interesting because I have come across, as I am sure colleagues have as well, parents who are not aware of this appeals system to the board of management. Neither are they aware of the situation that if a student is put on a waiting list, it is a de facto refusal. As the student is not offered a place, it is a refusal from the school and the student is then entitled to appeal to the board of management and to make a section 29 appeal. If the student gets a place in the second-nearest school or further away, he or she will not get school transport unless all this documentation is shown, but you cannot show it unless you know about it.

Finally, I put to the Minister the fact that primary school students in particular being driven to the school, mainly by their parents, is leading to massive congestion in towns at specific times. Will the Government or the Department have a look at a system whereby we would have local bus services to bring children to school? People quite often seem to want to bring the children right up to the door of the school and it leads to massive congestion, unnecessary travel and stress on parents. If we had a local school bus system in towns and villages throughout the country, it would alleviate that problem. It is all very fine being 1 km or 2 km away but in many instances it is the people living closer to the school who are driving children there and causing all these issues. It may be something the Minister will consider.

See this speech in context