Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)

Last week, I met two lovely families with children with special needs in Carndonagh, County Donegal. As the Deputy Leader knows, sending a child to a certain school is a big decision. The nearest school to the children had no classrooms available. The families decided to move the children to Clonmanny National School, which they say is top-class. The children are so happy there and well looked after, and the staff are so engaging, but there is a problem with the school transport. The families were told the children could go to Clonmanny, that the school bus would be sorted and that there would be no problem. That has not happened. One child has to travel 200 metres onto the busy main road to get the school bus. I went down and watched it. It is totally wrong. A child with special needs should not have to get onto a school bus on the side of a busy road.

The other child has to take a round trip of 12 km every day. That child does not get on the bus and is brought to school by the parents. The parents are going through enough; they really are. The children have special needs. Their two mothers and their fathers look after them so well. The children are their parents’ world; they really are. Here we have a problem that could easily be sorted. I cannot understand for the life of me why, in light of health and safety principles, a child with special needs would be loaded onto a bus at the side of a busy main road. I emailed the Minister about this. I ask that he come to the House to talk about it, or to ring me to see whether we can get something done about it. At the end of the day, safety comes first. Even with my children going to school, it is safety first. From what I have been told, the bus driver has no problem with turning into the avenue where the family lives to collect the child safely. This would cause no stress or hassle to anybody. I ask the Deputy Leader to determine whether she can get the Minister to look into this matter in particular. It really is urgent up in Carndonagh.