Laura Harmon (Labour)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim buíochas leis as bheith anseo linn inniu. Families in Ireland are facing extreme challenges in accessing school transport. Children all over the country, particularly those in rural areas, are being let down by inadequate transport links. This is an access to education issue. In August, parents in many areas across Ireland were notified that school buses would not be provided for this academic year. On behalf of the Department of education, Bus Éireann had to reduce its scope for school buses, despite extensive efforts, it stated. An over-reliance on the private sector was cited as the cause for this, due to capacity constraints in Bus Éireann. We heard from Senator Tully that there is a 95% reliance on the private sector. This is a clear indicator that the current system of operation is not fit for purpose and is creating barriers to education for certain children, rather than breaking those barriers down. Children who are disabled also need to be accommodated in terms of school transport. My colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny, recently cited a case in Cork where 46 pupils had signed up for a school bus, yet none was sanctioned. He also heard from constituents that some young students had been refused bus places by the Department on grounds that their school is not in feeder distance, when in reality it is.

As a result of Government failure in delivering this resource, families are being forced to rely on lifts from neighbours or to drive excessive distances themselves. Oftentimes we see parents having to give up valuable hours of work, or their job entirely, to facilitate their child's attendance at school. The demand for places has outgrown the system and families in Ireland are paying the price. The current criteria, capacity limits and process are not fit for purpose.

The Labour Party's manifesto last year proposed the integration of school transport with Local Link and rural bus services. This kind of connectivity would be transformative for communities. The Department of Transport needs to take ownership of this problem. We need to ensure that every child who needs a place can access one for free and we need to see alignment between policy on feeder schools and the reality on the ground to allow all students access to education. Adequate transport is a vital part of ensuring equal regional development. In general, villages and rural areas are lacking effective and timely public transport. An urgent expansion of these services alongside the development of adequate school transport links needs to be a priority for the Government. We in the Labour Party implore the Minister of State to conduct immediate further reviews of the transport system with a view to delivering full system reform.