Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

For the past two years, parents in Bantry and the surrounding areas have been advocating for a dedicated school bus service to transport over 30 children from Bantry to Schull. Despite numerous representations to the previous Minister for Education, this issue remains unresolved. Today I am appealing to the new Government to address this pressing need. Providing a school bus for these children is a modest request, especially considering the significant expenditure in other areas. These parents and children deserve reliable transport to attend school and we are simply asking for a bus to facilitate this. For two hours a day at the moment, or one hour in the morning and one in the evening, the total emissions would be approximately 480 kg of CO₂. After a week this adds up to 3,360 kg, or 336 tonnes, of CO₂. Reducing the number of cars on the road or switching to more sustainable transport options can help to lower this carbon footprint significantly. Will the Taoiseach work with the Minister for Education to provide this vital bus service to bring 30 children from Bantry to Schull Community College?

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