Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of school transport. There are a number of schools in my area, in Cavan, including a DEIS school in Cavan town, St. Clare's, with no school transport system in place. Yet some students live quite a distance from the school and require transport. They are being told they are not eligible because they live too close to the school or are not attending the nearest school. Most children leaving Castlerahan national school will attend St. Oliver Post Primary School, Oldcastle. Again, they are being told they are not eligible for school transport. Children in the Muff area, outside Kingscourt, who want to attend Coláiste Dún an Rí, Kingscourt, have the same issue. Roads are too narrow and too dangerous to travel on. The parents are working. We need a school transport system that will bring the students to school. The school transport review has recommended that the Department phase out the distance requirement and the requirement to attend one's nearest school. Can that be expedited? There is talk of a number of pilot projects for this September on putting school transport in situations under those new criteria. How are those pilot areas being selected?

See this speech in context