Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)

Education is a freedom and enabling children and teenagers to participate and achieve their own personal goals is of paramount importance. School transport is a significant part of that enablement. The Government has made great strides in the area of special education and the improvements include working with the NCSE to bring forward timelines, so I am wondering why in this area we still have the annual anxiety, chaos and disappointment for children and parents. Apply in April, pay in June and maybe have a ticket in August. I suppose this is not something that came upon us suddenly. In 2015 we had the Paris accord and in 2018 we had the UNCRPD, so there was plenty of flagging there. Using data to plan ahead does not seem to be happening, but given the mark the Minister of State is making by working with the NCSE and getting organised earlier, can school transport planning begin earlier as well, based perhaps on existing school enrolment numbers, the new NCSE forward planning with early booking and inviting parents to apply earlier for school transport? This could be in January or February each year rather than in April.

An example of multifunctionality that I give would be a Local Link service in Meath that could do the commuter run early in the morning to the train station, the school routes at 8 a.m. and then, perhaps, at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. bring older people to their services, with the reverse being done in the evening beginning, maybe at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. up to 6 p.m. or 7 p.m.

I will give a final example of where an anomaly exists in Carlanstown, County Meath, in the context of bringing young children to the ASD unit at O'Carolan College in Nobber. As it stands, for those who were lucky enough to receive tickets, their parents still have to drive them 4 km to the bus. The response from the parents is that if they are on the road anyway, they might as well keep on going to the school. I have every faith that the situation will improve.

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