Dáil debates
Thursday, 1 February 2024
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
School Transport
1:45 pm
Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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First, I thank the Minister of State for coming into the Chamber to take this Topical Issue. I know that the Minister of State has a particular interest in transport and rural transport because I saw the efforts that he made three-and-a-half years ago in the programme for Government negotiations, which went right down to the wire because of his insistence on providing transport for rural Ireland. I know he is particularly interested in this subject. However, I have to say I am very disappointed that neither the Minister, Deputy Foley, nor the Minister of State at the Department of Education are here to answer this particular Topical Issue because it is very much within their remit and it is not fair that it is left to the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. Deputy O'Brien's portfolio is a very different one now and this is really for the Minister, Deputy Foley, and, to some extent, the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan.
There is a situation in Limerick where children are being driven to school. They used to have a school bus but do not at present. It is an immediate and urgent situation that needs to be resolved and I would like the Minister of State to take that back to the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan. The bus provider that had been providing the service has pulled out and now there are a lot of students being driven by their parents, grandparents and neighbours to school every morning because that service is no longer there.
I pay tribute to the students of the Salesian school in Pallaskenry who have mobilised on this particular issue. The school has a strong track record when it comes to sustainability generally. I met other students of the school recently when they were involved in the Shooting the Breeze project, which was all about the offshore wind potential off our Atlantic coast, and particularly for these students in west County Limerick when they grow up.
The school's interest and track record is excellent. They have mobilised. They formed a committee. The chair is a young man named Shane Fitzgerald. They are supervised by their teacher, Ms Marie Keane.
They have come to me and every other Oireachtas Member in Limerick city and county outlining this problem they have. They are not being selfish about it, however. They have outlined that it is a problem that exists throughout the country, given multiple transport systems do not speak to one another and are not integrated. Empty buses pass these children as they are being driven to school in the morning but they cannot use those buses. Even where school transport is provided, teachers and other staff cannot use the school buses. The transport system is not integrated.
I have previously called for school transport to be taken from the Department of Education and given to the Department in which it rightly belongs, namely, the Department of Transport, whereby all the services could be planned and co-ordinated effectively. Not having this service is putting undue stress on students and their families, and the example I have raised is only a microcosm of the problem throughout the State. It should be a priority of the Government to fix this. There is a shortage of resources at the moment but we are not working efficiently with the resources we do have. We need to resolve this as a matter of urgency.
1:55 pm
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Before I call the Minister of State, by way of explanation, the Minister, Deputy Foley, was attending an extraordinary event in Kildare earlier this afternoon, where more than 3,000 pupils and their teachers, from 17 schools, gathered to participate in a Brigid 1500 event, hence her unavailability. We are really glad to have the Minister of State here.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle. Before I address the specific issues raised by the Deputy, I will provide an outline of the extent of the school transport system. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils, travelling on primary and post-primary services; 19,800 pupils with special educational needs; and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382 million. There has been an overall increase in the number of both applications and tickets issued for the 2023-24 school year in comparison with the 2022-23 school year.
The school transport scheme is an important service for families and children. The purpose of the Department's scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remotely from their nearest school. A review of the school transport scheme has been conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and its sustainability and ensuring it services students and their families adequately. Considering how best to maximise the benefits now and into the future has been a significant factor in the ongoing review of the scheme, which commenced in February 2021.
Following the first phase of the review, temporary alleviation measures, TAMs, were introduced at post-primary level and are being continued for the current school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport is provided where a route in is operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school, are attending their second nearest school and applied and paid on time.
An analysis of school transport schemes in other jurisdictions was also conducted as part of this stakeholder engagement and review process, including the EU, the UK, the United States and Australia. This research outlined evidence of the need for a school transport service in an Irish context compared with some comparative countries, as well as an analysis of the costs to users of school transport services in some other jurisdictions.
The technical working group and the steering group have recently completed their work on the final report of the review, which includes recommendations on the future operation of the scheme. I am aware this review is much awaited. It is recognised improvements need to be made to the scheme and I know the importance of that happening. The Minister expects to be in a position shortly to bring the review to the Government, and further to Government approval, the review will be published.
In respect of the specific issues raised by the Deputy in this case, Bus Éireann has confirmed that the service to Salesian Secondary College in Pallaskenry, County Limerick, has not yet commenced due to driver shortages. It is understood this route affects 32 pupils, of whom nine are eligible, nine fall under the TAMs and 14 are concessionary. Bus Éireann is continuing to prioritise sourcing vehicles and drivers but has confirmed that a small number of routes remain without a service. This equates to less than 1% of pupils nationally, or less than 2% of vehicles, with services being provided daily for over 99.5% of pupils.
The Department has established an exceptional no-service interim grant to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements families may have to put in place until their service begins. It has contacted families directly in regard to this payment.
In respect of the route in question, the local school transport team is actively working to establish this service and will continue to engage with families involved.
Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for the answer prepared by the Department of Education. We have been hearing about this review for a long time and we know the system is not working. Multiple systems are working in parallel but are not efficient. What is happening in Pallaskenry is a microcosm of the wider problem, notwithstanding that number of students represents a small percentage of the total. It is a microcosm of the inefficacy throughout the system. I expect the review to show it is inefficient and needs to be fundamentally reformed and I think the main reform will involve giving the remit for school transport to the Department of Transport, as is the case in every other country. This is a public transport issue.
A bus leaves Ballybunion at 6 a.m. and gets to Foynes at 6.57 a.m. and to Pallaskenry at 7.38 a.m. That is far too early to be useful for those students and the next bus is far too late. There is an utter lack of co-ordination when it comes to these services. It makes absolute sense that transport would be taken out of the Department of Education. This is fundamentally a transport issue and it should be given to the Department of Transport. What we are seeing in Pallaskenry and elsewhere in County Limerick is a microcosm of a serious problem throughout the State.
This is not just about going to and from school; it relates to our climate challenge, quality of life and costs for families. A lot of these families have a second car because one of the parents has to drive the children to school. If we could provide the service, these parents could give up the second car and save a lot of money. This needs to be resolved not just for the young people of Pallaskenry and its surrounds but for the entire country.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I hope the situation for those young people in Pallaskenry will be resolved soon. It is clear the Department is engaging with them.
I agree on the need for an integrated system and with the point the Deputy made about school buses doing their drop and then doing a return journey without passengers. That is certainly not efficient, in a variety of ways. Other Departments are also affected, including mine, the Department of Rural and Community Development, given we fund transport services through our community services programme. There are bits and pieces all over. "Integration" is the key word in respect of efficiency for not just the economic side, the climate and the environmental impact but also to provide a good service for people. I certainly agree with the Deputy's points about the integration of services.
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Minister of State and all the Deputies.