Local TD says shortage of school bus places must be addressed urgently

Longford Westmeath TD Sorca Clarke has called on the Minister for Education to urgently expand capacity on the School Transport Scheme, saying the scrapping of fees for the scheme has led to unprecedented demand for school bus places this year.

The Sinn Féin TD said today (Tuesday) that her constituency offices in Athlone, Mullingar and Longford had been "almost overwhelmed" with the volume of contact from families worried about not being able to secure a school bus seat for their children.

"The Government's failure to expand capacity on the School Transport Scheme, in conjunction with the elimination of fares, is causing serious problems for families," said Deputy Clarke

"The removal of fares has resulted in unprecedented numbers applying for the scheme, but because of the strict criteria in place, thousands of children who are categorised as 'concessionary' will now be refused a seat.

"To make matters worse, many of those who are being refused have used the scheme for years and this leaves their parents in a very difficult position, as they cannot do the school run due to work commitments and totally depend on the school bus.

"Families who expected to realise savings of €500 now look set, instead, to be heaped with additional costs as they try to find alternatives.

"My constituency offices in Mullingar, Athlone and Longford have been almost overwhelmed with the volume of contact from very worried families who have been paying for a service upon which they relied and now find themselves unable to get their children to school.

"It's a spectacular failure of planning and turned what should be a good news story on fares into a nightmare for many who will now be left without a seat.

"In the midst of an energy and cost of living crisis many families are left with absolutely no choices as the option of public transport is not available to them."

Deputy Clarke stated that Bus Éireann had been "inundated with calls from parents desperate to get a seat for their child," but she said the responsibility for adding extra capacity lay with the Minister for Education.

"Unfortunately, Minister Foley appears to be missing in action, leaving no solution to this crisis," she commented.

"The Minister must intervene urgently. She should instruct Bus Éireann to look within its own, and the private bus sector's, resources to expand capacity to ensure that no child is left without a seat.

"The opportunity exists to transform the school commute and to make this a really positive story, but the Minister must act now," concluded Deputy Clarke.