Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to discuss the issue of bus escorts and transport police. I am on the board of an amazing special school in Navan, County Meath, called St. Ultan's. It was a big eye opener for me to see the work done there by all the staff. From 8.30 a.m. to 9 a.m. the school is a hive of activity. However, there is one area that I did not understand until I began to work with the school. This is the issue of transport to and from the school, and indeed to most special schools, and the difficulties associated with this. Some 24 buses with vulnerable children arrive from all over County Meath and in some cases from Dublin all at the same time. The children are escorted by bus escorts, who do an incredible job. These schoolyards like the one I work with are packed with buses, bus escorts, children, parents and staff. The principal and vice principal have to stand in the yard to help get the children off the buses and direct them to where they need to go. They may also have to arrange for them to have a little run around after being on a bus for sometimes more than an hour. Members will appreciate that this is quite overwhelming for some children. The rest of the children are sent off to their classes to begin their day's work.

Members may be thinking what is the issue here. Very often, bus escorts are unavoidably sick, they have to take their holidays, or they may have an unexpected situation, just like most employees in any job. When they are unwell, the calls to the schools will start from 5.30 a.m. It is up to the school principal to sort this out, along with everything else, and as Members can appreciate this can be very difficult. It is left up to the school to be, more or less, the employer of the bus escorts. For this, they get 5% of the bus escorts' wages to cover administrative costs. However, it way more than that.

Special schools are at capacity. The role is challenging and managing bus escorts is just adding to a pot that is about to boil over. I ask the Department of Education to look at this situation from a fresh perspective. I am not sure if people realise that the management of the school is stretched enough. In cases such as St. Ultan's school, this means looking after 24 extra staff who are not technically part of their work remit.

I also spoke to staff at another fabulous school in Navan, St. Mary's Special School, in Johnstown. This school manages 21 buses and 24 bus escorts. I ask the Department of Education to consider a transport manager to look after this. It is worth noting that these schools are not looking for their own transport managers but rather one who could work on behalf of a few schools. Imagine taking this stress away each morning from the people whose goal it is to teach people in the school rather than look after transport. It would be transformational.