Parents and pupils in limbo after losing 'concessionary seats' on school buses

ANN CASEY

A Leaving Cert student from Ballivor has no idea how she'll get to school this year, while a worried Kilmessan mother fears she may have to give up her job, as thousands of students across the country have lost their concessionary seats on school buses.

A ten-year-old schoolboy has been refused a seat on the school bus he has travelled on in previous years, which could mean his mother having to quit her job, while a Ballivor girl who is about to start into her gruelling Leaving Cert year still doesn't know if she will have a seat on the bus which is her only way of getting to school.

Charmaine Kelly from Kilmessan says her employers at Beaumont Hospital have allowed her start late for the first few weeks of the school year, while she tries to sort out transport for her son, Stephen, but she is faced with the stark choice of either giving up work or sending her son to very expensive childcare.

"I may have to give up work if my son can’t get the bus. The cheapest place in childcare is over €1,200 a month," she said.

Her dilemma comes as thousands of children, including many in Co Meath face being turned away from school transport this year leading to a call by Deputy Darren O’Rourke for 10,000 extra places to be funded and made available to help meet demand.

Ms Kelly explains that she lives in the parish of Kilmessan, their postal address is Kilmessan, but they live a little nearer to Trim than Kilmessan.

Her son Stephen (10), attends Kilmessan National School.

"My mother in law lives beside us and I leave Stephen into her in the morning. The school bus passes the gate, so Stephen goes into her for two hours or so after school until we get home.

"I've been told now that Kilmessan NS isn't our closest school, but if he was to go to Trim, he would have to walk 1km to school along country roads.

"I won't let my 10 year old do that and his grandmother woudn't be able to walk it with him," she said.

She explains that Stephen always had a concessionary place on the bus, even last year when it was at half capacity.

"We used to pay €100 for the year and I was happy to pay that, but now the government has said it will be free this year and everybody is applying for discretionary places," she said.

Celine Sherlock from Ballivor and her daugther are very concerned as they haven't heard yet if she will get a seat on the bus to Boyne Community School in Trim this year.

"Two of my daughters have been travelling on this bus for the past six or seven years, but the older girl has now finished school.

"Over the years, I have paid more than €3,000 for heir seats, but now that it is free, it looks like she won't get a seat.

"I was told because Trim is further away than Athboy, she isn't autmoatically entitled to a seat and it is concessionary."

Ms Sherlock has been on webchats and the Bus Eireann hotline but still hasn't been told if her daughter will have a seat, although she has been told that as she hasn't yet got word that she has a place, it is unlikely she will get a seat.

"We have no idea how my daughter will get to school this year if she cannot travel on the bus. We only have one car and my husband will be gone to work long before it would be time for her to leave.

"There is a possibility she could get a Local link bus, but it leaves very early and she would be hanging around Trim for over an hour before school and it costs a €5 a day which is a lot to send a someone to school."

Deputy O'Rourke said; “This week parents across the state are getting notified that they have failed to secure a seat for their child on the local school bus.

“Every year the School Transport Scheme is significantly over-subscribed and instead of harnessing this demand, the government sit on their hands and let the situation repeat itself, year after year.

“We are turning thousands of children away from this public transport option, which is totally at odds with our climate ambitions, as it results in thousands of extra private car journeys to and from school each day.

“While the decision by Government to eliminate school transport fees for the 2022/2023 school year is welcome, it does nothing to address the capacity constraints.

“Sinn Féin has called for 10,000 extra seats to be added to the system, in addition to investing in new school buses and eliminating school transport fees.

“By expanding this scheme, we can cut transport emissions, reduce dangerous traffic congestion outside schools, while providing parents and guardians with a convenient method of transport for their children."