Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)

The problems with school transport are not new. If anything, this has become an annual fiasco. My colleagues Deputies Whitmore and Cummins have been raising this matter and calling for a restructuring of the scheme for a long period. In the time afforded to me, I want to refer to the consequences for some of the families in my constituency of Cork South-Central. Several families in Cork have contacted me and described their real frustration about the fact that they are continuously being advised to contact the local Cork office using an online web form. These are families who are desperately in need of answers, who want to speak to somebody and who are being expected to wait for responses through the website. They have urgent queries and the least they deserve is to be able to talk to somebody directly to try to resolve some of the problems. I would like that to be looked at.

The failure of the scheme is having real consequences for families. There is a parent of a child with additional needs who has been back in school for over a month without the transport they were approved for in June. These parents are alternating taking time off work in order that they can get their child to school. These are families who are missing out on time at work in order to get their children to school. They are already under severe financial pressure because they are paying privately for therapies and services for their children that the State is refusing to provide. Time and time again, the State is failing children with additional needs and their families. They deserve better and need better supports. The lack of school transport available to children with additional needs is just an example of this.

I would like the Minister of State to intervene and urgently respond to the issues outlined in the debate this evening. I would also like to see a full review into the ongoing issues with the scheme in order that they will not continue to be repeated year after year and that we can resolve this and have a better system in place for children and families right across the country.

It is really important that we get to the bottom of this and find solutions for families.

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