Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

Some time ago, I raised the issue of catchment boundaries for school transport and I called for a debate on it. The present system is in existence since the 1960s. With the change in demographics we must have changes in how we respond to transport requirements to ferry our pupils to and from schools, especially in rural Ireland. We have had large hikes in the cost of school transport recently with increases of up to 40%. I do not know how many Senators are aware of this but any rural Senator certainly should be aware of it. For those in junior cycle the term charge has gone from €33 to €46 and for those in senior cycle it has increased from €51 to €71.

This issue must be debated because the Minister has increased these school transport charges without any due cognisance of the service she is delivering, its quality or even the times at which students are being delivered to their schools. I am aware of some students in school an hour and a half before school starts and who are left there an hour and a half after it finishes. It is a terrible indictment of our school transport system to have children between the ages of 12 and 17 with long days and inadequate school transport. However, the Minister can hike up the price at the stroke of a pen. This is not acceptable and she should be brought before the House to debate this important issue.

With regard to rural services in general, and this is an extension of the school transport issue, a number of Senators called for a debate on balanced regional development. I support this call. It is in the programme for Government but I still have not seen any proposals come to this House for debate. We certainly have a need to debate it and many would agree.

Senator Callely mentioned the Dublin Transport Authority and connectivity in transport services. I would like to see how the Government proposes to promote the better integration of transport throughout the country and not only around the vortex of Dublin city and the east coast in general. We have a country with regions and the Government needs to realise this. It is important we debate it.