Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the statements today on school transport. As a rural TD, the challenges families across Carlow and Kilkenny experience with school transport come across my desk every day. I wish to make a couple of quick points. The first point relates to the importance of accessibility. Every single child in this State deserves access to safe and reliable transport to and from school. It is non-negotiable. Not only is it absolutely vital for the students, but it is also imperative for their parents who are sometimes under ferocious pressure to arrange their kids to be dropped to and from school while they are trying to go about their daily busy lives.

While urban areas might have more transport options, and more power to them, there are serious challenges that have to be addressed in rural communities regarding school transport. This year alone I have come across cases in Ballyragget, Lisdowney, Borris, St. Mullins, Mullinavat, Listerlin, Mooncoin, Dunnamaggin, Gowran, Dungarvan, The Rower, Graiguenamanagh, Castlecomer, Ballyhale and Knockmoylan, to mention just a few. The school transport scheme is a lifeline for many families in these areas but we have to do better and we have to do more.

It is a specific measure in the programme for Government to include an additional 100,000 students by 2030. I welcome this vision. While it would be fantastic to see, in order to achieve 100,000 more places, additional funding will be required. I note and acknowledge in the Minister of State’s speech earlier that more than €500 million was allocated in 2024, which is a significant increase on previous years’ funding. I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to fight as hard as possible to increase funding for rural Ireland and for rural families both across Carlow and Kilkenny and nationally.

I also acknowledge the significant increase in the numbers using the school transport scheme, rising from 120,000 a couple of years ago to 178,000 today. There is a reason the school transport system is so successful in terms of its use and numbers, but we have to ensure every child has access to it and there are no barriers.

My next point concerns drivers over the age of 70. I cannot understand how a driver over 70 years of age is ineligible to drive a school bus under the Bus Éireann rules, but the school can ring that same bus contractor and the same driver can bring those kids to swimming or a GAA match without any problem at all. It beggars belief. While I know there is a specific measure in the programme for Government to carry out an independent assessment on the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers aged over 70 from the school transport scheme, this has to be done immediately. We want to get 100,000 additional places. The average bus size has capacity for 50 people, meaning an extra 2,000 buses and 2,000 drivers are needed. We are at full employment in this country. We need to give those people over the age of 70, who have something to offer and are happy to make a contribution and give back, the opportunity to do so. We need to fast-track that.

Sometimes, particularly in the context of rural school transport, it feels like we are being punished for living in a rural area. That is not right. In the little time I have left, I will speak about the bus in Ballyhale and Knockmoylan. I thank the Minister of State for his incredible hard work on this particular project and the fact that there is an additional bus on a pilot scheme. We know that the funding is there for it, which is brilliant, but the challenge is to get the actual bus, the service and the driver in place. I implore the Minister of State once again today to do everything he can with Bus Éireann to fast-track this for the families of Knockmoylan and for the kids attending the school in Ballyhale. My good friend and previous colleague, Bobby Aylward, campaigned for this for many years. It is high time that it is sorted. I thank the Minister of State for his hard work in that regard.

I wish to speak quickly on the ability to change a school bus route. I hear regularly from families and students that the bus route can be changed every now and again with no notice and that it is something that does not suit. There has to be a mechanism in that regard. It is frustrating and difficult getting answers from Bus Éireann when it comes to the changing of bus routes or slight changes that would be sustainable and good for the country.

Can the application process be looked at a little earlier? Waiting until the eleventh hour to get word two or three days before a child is going back to school is, to put it simply, not good enough. Is there a way that we could open and close the application process earlier so that parents know whether they are getting a ticket? If they knew in June or earlier in the year, it would give them the chance to put alternative arrangements in place or seek funding to get additional buses where required.

That is something that really needs to be looked at. If the process is started earlier, we could let the kids and their families know in plenty of time to make alternative arrangements or to arrange additional buses, if required.

I agree with Deputy Wall on the dedicated helpline. It is a fantastic idea because when we get in contact and get the consent forms, the speed at which we get replies from Bus Éireann is, at best, below average, and I am being kind saying that.

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