John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have time and I would like to finish. The number is not 78,000 because only 38,000 children in the country getting this school transport, not triple that.

I am coming into the House not because I am frustrated but because I am upset. We all have personal stories, and no doubt the Minister has the same issue in her constituency of Kerry, of parents who are going through serious issues, be they health or financial issues or whatever. The last thing these parents need is to be worrying about a school bus ticket. The last thing they need is to ask themselves how they are going to get to Dublin for work, get up at 6 a.m. and get their child in and out of school. The stories I hear in my part of the world are tough to listen to. I have never felt more at a loss as a politician in being able to do something, because in every other year where this has happened, we have been able to sort it out with the local bus station or Bus Éireann.It takes a bit of time but it gets done. It has now washed their hands of this entire issue. Bus Éireann is now putting this back on the Minister and the Department. That is what it saying to us as Members of the Oireachtas. It is telling us to speak to the Department or to the Minister as they are the only ones who can fix it and that it cannot. How do we fix it? What is the plan? It is about getting a clear timeline and a clear definition, for which Senator Lombard asked and saying that we want to fix this within the next four or five weeks. If we can do that, great but clarity should be brought. If we cannot get that clarity, I want to look those parents in the eye, be honest with them and tell them we are not going to be able to fix it this year. I will take that and if it means I do not get elected to the Dáil the next time or lose votes, that is grand but I am going to look these parents in the eye, be straight up with them and tell them we are either going to fix it or not. What I will not do is continue with political lines saying we are looking at it and looking at reviews and research. I refuse to do that. I want to be honest with the people of Dundalk and the rest of County Louth, which is what I intend to do. By bringing forward this motion today, I seek that clarity in order that I can go back to these parents, look them in the eye and tell them we are either going to sort this out with a timeline or we are not going to be able to do it on this occasion. That is what I want to get out of this evening's debate.