Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. It is great to have her in the Chamber. I formally second the motion. This is an important debate we are having about the school transportation scheme, which is a unique scheme that helps many families throughout the State in getting their children to school. It is part of their daily routine and structure. It is a part of how communities operate in rural Ireland. It is important we have an appropriate scheme that suits the needs of people.

We took a major step forward in recent months by changing the criteria to make this free, which was a really positive step. The big issue for us is that when those criteria were changed and the date extended, thousands of people subsequently looked to be on the scheme, the knock-on effect of which in my part of the world has been that children who traditionally had taken the school bus no longer do so. I know of one family with four children, two of whom take the school bus while two do not. That is a significant issue for that family. They are trying to work around the scenario whereby they drop two children to the school and the other two children are dropped to the school bus stop. These are significant challenges for these people. These are working people who are trying to manage everything in life. They are trying to manage their school and work timetables, and whatever time they have left for a social life is limited, to say the very least. How can we put a scheme in place that helps everyone who is affected?

I am aware a review process is taking place, and it is appropriate that it started in February 2021. However, that review is an ongoing process and we need to see what will come from it in due course. The issue that most affected this scheme in my part of the world was the changing of the date. By moving that date forward, thousands of children were placed on the scheme, and because of that, children who traditionally would have got the bus because they fitted the criteria of having enough seats on the bus now no longer get that bus. We need to find a solution to this. Places like Ballinhassig, Rossmore, Minane Bridge, Nohoval, Dunderrow, Kilbrittain, Ballinspittle, and Newcestown are grossly affected by that. How do we find a solution for children who are three weeks into the school term and are another four weeks away from the midterm break?

I have a few cases I want to talk about. Special school education is very important. I am aware of a child who has been granted school transport, but because there is no escort available, three weeks later, the family is still driving their child 70 km every day. A principal emailed me last night to inform me she has a similar situation in her school and that child has not come to school yet, three weeks into the school term. I mentioned another case of two children getting the bus and two not getting the bus. The big issue for us is when we will get the budget required to make sure we leave no child behind.

The Minister mentioned she hopes to have negotiations with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in regard to the budget. Will the Minister clarify whether that is for this or the next academic year? I want to know when the budget she is talking about will become applicable. Will that budget cover the cohort of children I have referred to? I mentioned the two special education cases about which I contacted the Minister's office this afternoon. She might look into those issues. It is significant that there is a child who has not gone to school yet and another who is, unfortunately, waiting for an escort. They are significant issues for those families, to say the least.

The big issue is to try to find a solution in the current new term. We are three weeks in with five weeks to midterm. We need to have a timeline for when there will be a solution. If there is not going to be a solution, we need to be honest in that and tell the children and families because they need to have structure in their life. Whether it is grandparents, neighbours, or hiring a school bus privately, they need to know what the solution will be. We have all received correspondence from Bus Éireann saying it is not engaging anymore regarding finding additional transportation. My worry is that if Bus Éireann is not going to engage anymore to find that additional transportation, are we effectively saying the 6,000 children who, unfortunately, did not fit the criteria this year and do not have a place on the school bus, will not be accommodated? If that is the case, could we make sure to have a plan in place for the children who are affected? We need to know exactly what is happening. That clarity would be helpful. If it can be honestly said there will be no option or no hope, that needs to be stated.