Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Clonan's and Senator Martin's contributions. I received a number of phone calls yesterday from very worried families of our brave Defence Forces members. We have to ask Senator Clonan to assure them that they are in our thoughts and prayers. We need to ensure that their safety is paramount at this time. Those brave people serving overseas are foremost in our thoughts today because their families are very concerned about them.

I want to raise the issue of an article this morning by Emma O'Kelly, the RTÉ education correspondent, on Irish Sign Language, ISL. Two deaf students have applied to the Department of Education to make Irish Sign Language available as a leaving certificate examination subject. Sixth year students, Ellie Wood and Shane Hamilton, say it is very unfair and discriminatory that students can sit examinations in a wide range of EU languages but they cannot sit their exams in their first language, which is ISL. They go on to say that it feels like they are lesser than other people. They also said that they learned ISL before they learned English. They are seeking that ISL become part of the leaving certificate curriculum. We should have a debate and truly support this call by the pupils of the Cabra school. I support this because next weekend in my home town of Athy, we will have an ISL festival, as we have had for the last number of years. We are very proud to have an ISL group in the town, which does tremendous work. The group is converting Athy into an ISL-friendly town. It has at least 60 people participating every week in using and learning ISL. I wish Maggie, Linda, Breda and Mary all the best with their festival this weekend. I support the call for ISL to become a leaving certificate subject.

I also seek an urgent debate on school transport. Every year, I bring up the lack of tickets, transport and availability. I am dealing with a number of families in the Cut Bush area and in Kildare town, Monasterevin and Rathangan who have failed to get bus tickets. They have written to the Minister for Education. They are simply not getting any answers. I have tabled questions and the Minister has come back to say that it is simply not available. We were promised a reboot of the school transport system.

I will quote one parent who has come back to me because of the lack of correspondence. She states:

I have heard no news from the Minister. I received a refund email from Bus Éireann back in July that there is no bus route from my area and therefore, I would receive a refund in ten days.

Yesterday, she had still not received the refund. There is something seriously wrong with the school transport system in this country and it needs urgent attention for those families who are struggling to get their children to school. We need an urgent debate with the Minister for Education.