A Monaghan Senator has called on the Education Minister to sort out the school transport issue once and for all.
Robbie Gallagher says he asked Minister Norma Foley to attend Seanad Eireann in recent days to explain to members why the situation has gotten so out of control. This morning, Bus Eireann confirmed to Northern Sound that it has issued 3,749 tickets for school transport in Cavan - representing an increase of 11% on the previous year.
Just over 3,845 tickets have been issued in Co Monaghan for this school year - an increase of 15% on the previous year. The company said it is continuing to procure additional capacity for school transport services to cater for remaining pupils who meet the qualifying criteria of the scheme.
A spokesperson added: "We have to date secured over 295 additional school transport vehicles and 162 services have had larger capacity vehicles added to the service, or the route extended.
"In some locations where there are large volumes of applications, it can be challenging to source contractors and vehicles, but we continue to procure additional capacity as it becomes available."
Meanwhile, Senator Gallagher highlighted how Minister Foley is endeavoring to secure additional funding in next week’s budget to deal with the crisis, which he said had a number of strands to it.
He also acknowledged that children with no school bus seats being dropped off at the school gates very early in the morning by working parents with no other option was "unacceptable".
"I asked Minister Foley to discuss the issue of school transport because it is a massive issue in Monaghan and Cavan and indeed throughout the country," added the Senator.
"Albeit additional places have been allocated but concessionary ticket holders - those who had tickets for the last four of five years - now find themselves with no tickets because of the uptake in the scheme. There are people who simply cannot get their children to school because of this."
