Laois parents 'absolutely livid' as free schoolbusses drive past students

Laois schoolchildren whose parents previously paid for a schoolbus are now left at the side of the road because the seats are all made free, but there isn't enough of them.

So say Laois councillors who this week have backed a campaign by parents of schoolgoing children overlooked for bus tickets.

Schoolchildren including Leaving Cert students who in the past qualified to get the bus are now denied a seat, despite there often being empty seats, claim Laois councillors.

They are backing a campaign begun by parents in Emo and Vicarstown to demand urgent action by the Minister for Education and by Bus Éireann.

All 18 councillors who attended the September meeting of Laois County Council, jointly tabled a motion, that the council call on the Minister for Education Norma Foley "to urgently resolve the widespread problematic issue of the non-issuing of Bus Éireann transport tickets to schoolgoing children".

The Cathaoirleach Cllr Thomasina Connell summed up the frustration.

"I attended their meeting and parents are absolutely livid. There are schoolbuses going from Emo and Vicarstown but children are left of the side of the road who previously had tickets. One student had them for five years and is now in Leaving Cert year. There are empty seats.  

"The transport scheme announced the service is now free this year and they got an increase of 18% in applicants. People who were deemed eligible got tickets and others got 'consessions'. But the people who got tickets aren't using them five days a week.

"This was on Primetime with Minister for Education Norma Foley. I don't feel it was adequately answered. Pepole are paying €70 to €120 a week on taxis to get their children to school. This urgently needs to be resolved. the floodgates opened because the service was announced as free," she said.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy described children as being "turfed off the bus".

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"I don't agree with concession tickets. If you were entitled to a ticket before you should have it all the way through. We are trying to get kids to third level. It's madness," he said.

"The problem now is there is a shortfall of busses and drivers," agrees Cllr PJ Kelly.

Cllr Aidan Mullins said that it is "a shambles nationwide".

"There are 3,000 odd people waiting on an appeal process. They can't get in an inspector to check seats since September 1. They can't get to speak to anybody, it's a mess. 

"I've heard of a case where both parents are working and one said if his employer knew the time he was taking to bring his kids to school his job would be in jeopardy," he said.

"They should have forecasted that there would be a huge uptake," agreed Cllr Barry Walsh.