Laois students left with no school bus to secondary school

Shortcomings with the school bus transport system have left ten Laois children with no school bus transport, a Laois Offaly TD has claimed.

Independent TD Carol Nolan said she is demanding immediate action from the Department of Education and the urgent personal intervention of the Minister for Education Norma Foley as parents and schools in both Offaly and Laois continue to contact her offices seeking a resolution to capacity and transport issues for their children and pupils.

She put the spotlight on Clonaslee to highlight the problems Minister Foley has to grasp and solve.

“Take Clonaslee College in my own constituency as an example. It has been confirmed to me that are 10 students who have no school bus service to attend this school.”

“As I understand it, the parents relied on a a private service last year, but this was not financially viable for the bus company, and it was discontinued.”

“Solutions such as Bus Éireann extending its route so it could collect these students have been put forward and I am engaging with Bus Éireann for a positive outcome here.”

“It is absolutely imperative that small rural schools such as Clonaslee College are supported and that they do not lose students from feeder schools due a completely avoidable and resolvable transport issue.”

“I was informed by Minister Foley in April that a review was being undertaken by the Department of Education and the Department of Transport regarding the current Bus Eireann policy. Where is that Review? What is it doing to meet and increase demand? Is it gathering dust in a drawer while parents and schools scramble for solutions?”

“I also know that some schools are coming under enormous pressure when the fact of the matter is that capacity and the inability of a school to increase capacity is first and foremost a problem created by the Department of Education.”

“I am demanding urgency be applied to these issues so that parents, children and school management can just get on with what should be the normal business of returning to class,” said Deputy Nolan. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Carol Nolan TD.

Deputy Nolan's statement said her comments followed a The Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC) claim that school transport tenders were issued late from Bus Éireann to commercial operators, resulting in “immense pressure” and an increased inability to meet demand.

The Independent TD said she has consistently highlighted the need for Bus Éireann to radically revise how it operates the school transport sector and has strongly urged changes to the mandatory retirement age for drivers to be abolished or reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

She also said the current mandatory retirement age is 70 years for bus drivers employed by or contracted to Bus Eireann for the provision of the school transport service.

“The fact that school children continue to be left without a seat on the bus or in a classroom is nothing short of cruel,” said Deputy Nolan.

“I have repeatedly offered solutions and proposals to the Government on these issues but here we are again interacting with a Department that seems genuinely incapable of understanding and responding effectively to these problems,” said the TD.