Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. We cannot wait for reviews. Colleagues have said that. As for the example I gave the Minister of the incident involving the child, she is a special needs child. I did not say that in my initial contribution. She is losing school days because she cannot get to school, but the school bus is going past her door with five to six empty seats on it. We need to contact those operators and ask them how many people are on their buses and how many spare spaces they have. We need to ensure that those over 70 years of age can drive our buses.

Local Link has a huge part to play in this as well. In my area a great Local Link service was announced and we asked if it could go at 4.15 p.m. to accommodate schools. The answer was "No" because it has to go at 4 p.m. Now those who could accommodate themselves on Local Link cannot do so. It is a matter of joined-up thinking but it has to happen now. Children are on the side of the road. Parents are handing in their notice. This is an urgent issue, and everyone in this House knows it. The Government needs to act.