Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I have met her twice today as earlier I met her while we attended a committee.

I wish to start by discussing special education. School transport is a huge issue and one that affects the lives of a great numbers of people. School transport is even more important to families who have a child with special educational needs but it is mid-term break and there are still no places, which causes serious issues. I wish to mention three cases - Innishannon to Cork, Ballinhassig to Cork, and Belgooly going to Cork. These cases have been well flagged with Bus Éireann but that company has made no response.

Earlier the Minister spoke about the dedicated email address provided to deal with requests. My office staff sent me a text as she was speaking to inform me that they have never gotten a response from the dedicated address. No response ever has been received. We have emailed Bus Éireann about these children and we cannot get a response for their parents. Senator Dolan mentioned the stress caused. When people have a special child and need that actual support but do not get responses, we have a big issue with that. I have contacted the Minister's office about this issue. We have a cohort of perhaps 35 children - I could probably name them - in west Cork who do not have a school bus place at the moment. There are seven in Rossmore, 15 in Ballyhass, four in Nohoval, two in Dunderrow and others in Newcestown and Crossbarry. I have parents ringing the office every week. Every time school transport is mentioned in the Seanad they are listening in. They call my office to find out what the story is, where they will get information and if and when the will get a school bus ticket. An announcement made after the budget raised expectations and parents thought tickets were to be granted. They do not know when, where or what is going to happen. The mid-term break is approaching and I have no answer for them. I cannot tell them to get appropriate transportation because there will be no school bus for them this year.

The majority of the parents have told me they made the application in April and went through the process like they do every year. Some have said they did not get the link and others have said they did not tick the link, but the majority went through the application process in April. This is a significant problem for us. I am looking for clarity on this from the Minister. What do I tell these parents? Do I tell them there is no hope? The majority of these children were on school buses last year. Do I tell them to keep on trying and we might get there eventually? The Hallowe'en mid-term is next week and we still do not have any light at the end of the tunnel with regard to this issue.

This is a significant problem and I do not have answers. Senator Dolan and I, and other Senators, sought this hearing to find out what the pathway is. The Minister might advise us of that. Is there no hope for these children now? Are we to say these tickets may come? Where do we go with this issue?

There are other issues. I have had bus companies contacting me to say they have bus capacity and could sort out the service but they lack direction from Bus Éireann. I believe there has been a complete breakdown of communication between Bus Éireann and the parents involved. I cannot speak for the Department. We need to have a roadmap but we do not have one. As other Senators have correctly stated, we need to have a policy in place that leaves no child behind. At the moment we are leaving children behind, even children with special needs, which is terrible altogether. What are we to tell these kids now? Where is the roadmap? Where does the Minister believe we should go? Is this the end of the road for these children? Must they wait until next year to try their luck?