Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that response from the Minister of State but there is nothing in it that I did not know already. I have been working on school transport with kids through Green-Schools and modal shift for about 14 years. I have all the figures and I know the rules about 3.2 km and 4.8 km. To be honest, the reply does not deal with the issue at all. I asked a specific question, namely, has the Department done anything about increasing the number of bus drivers. If not, it will not be able to get this bus service that it wants. It is great the Department has the money for it. It is great that it is free but it has caused absolute chaos. Unless the Department actually focuses on increasing the number of bus drivers, it is not going to be resolved. That was the simple question I asked.

Also when the Minister of State's script says “The specific issues mentioned by Senator Garvey related to a case where the driver of a route is unfortunately currently unable to work on the route.” That is not because he was sick or anything. That is because he was moved to another route because the guy on another route fell ill. How did the contractor decide that the students in one area were more important than those in another area? That is the bigger question that I want to highlight with Bus Éireann because they are paying these contractors. These contractors have to be reliable and have some sense of honour towards the pupils they have been driving. In regard to the last line, “Bus Éireann is currently working to source a driver at present”, I do not know if it is. I rang the inspector and told her I have a bus driver. She said “Oh that is brilliant, because we do not have any”. I do not think Bus Éireann was actually looking for one but it was leaving it to the contractor to find a bus driver as the contractor is the one getting paid. I do not know what is happening now. I found a bus driver. I gave the details to the contractor. None of my questions have been answered and I do not think it is the Minister’s fault. There are people who are getting paid a good deal of money to deal with the school transport situation. They have not dealt with it properly. As for the concessionary tickets being given, that is also not true. The ones who got tickets before did not necessarily get it now. None of my questions have really been answered.