Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire chuig an Teach inniu. I am delighted to speak on the school transport scheme today. For so many families, not just those in this particular calendar year but going forward into the future, this will be transformative in how they carry on their days, especially working families and parents.

Having a free school transport scheme will be transformational. Parents will not have those difficulties of picking children up from and dropping them off at school. It is really hard for anyone to stand up today in this House and diss this scheme. Obviously, we all know there will always be teething problems with huge investment. This is such a welcome measure. I do not think one parent in the country will say it is not. There have been teething problems and issues around the country. On the whole, however, I think those issues have been resolved.

We do not have a huge need for school transport in Dublin. Unfortunately, school transport comes into the picture when it comes to children in special schools who have to be transferred to schools outside their catchment areas, which is a separate issue. School transport exists in that setting in areas in the city, however.

This scheme must be commended. I cannot see a downside. How families in rural Ireland live over the next decade will be completely different from how they are living now in terms of their daily morning and afternoon routines. It will make life much easier for parents and families, not just for their purse but for their time.