Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government commits to a review of the school transport scheme. The biggest obstacle within that scheme at the moment is the ban on drivers over 70. We have the ludicrous situation where such drivers cannot drive a minibus bringing ten pupils to school under the school transport scheme but later in the day they can drive a 72-seater bus full of children to the local swimming pool or on a bus tour to Dublin, Cork or Killarney. This is a crazy situation. Many of these drivers depend on this part-time work to supplement their pension income and operators are at their wits' end trying to recruit drivers. They have to let these people go when they reach 70. Once drivers pass the eyesight and medical tests, they should be allowed to continue.

I spoke to the Minister for Transport about this and I have a reply from the Department here. The Minister for Transport said that the Department is committed to carrying out an independent assessment on the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers over 70 years of age from the school transport scheme. The assessment is a medical test. It is very simple. I had it recently because I have a HGV and a bus licence. Once they pass it, that is it; they are fit to drive.

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