Wicklow-Wexford TD discusses current state of affairs for school bus places

Wicklow–Wexford TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin has called on Ministers Moynihan and McEntee to end the ongoing school transport chaos…

Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin has called on Ministers Moynihan and McEntee to stop passing the buck over the ongoing shambles in the school transport system.

While the crisis began at the start of September and earlier, for many families, it still has not been resolved.

Highlighting the matter to Wexford Weekly on Wednesday, Deputy Ó Súilleabháin said:

“The bus chaos has still not ended for some families. As of today, I am aware of around 20 or more children in the Wicklow–Wexford constituency who still don’t have a school bus place. Parents are desperate at this stage. I will be raising this issue in Leinster House today, Tuesday.”

“My office has been inundated with messages from concerned parents about the chaos surrounding school bus transport. This issue arises every year, but this year is by far the worst I can recall. Having taught for over 34 years in special education, I’ve seen firsthand how vital school transport is for children with additional needs.”

“Parents have told me about bus services being pulled at the last minute—some of which still have no replacement. In some cases, one child in a family gets a bus place while the others do not, forcing parents to drive behind the bus. It’s absolutely ridiculous—the stories I’ve heard this year are beyond belief.”

“We’ve had children travelling from as far as Ashford to attend Gorey Hill Special School with no transport, leaving parents in limbo. Some are forced to choose which child to bring to school because they simply can’t be in two places at once.”

“In other cases, parents are paying privately—up to €1,300 per year—for their children to attend school in Bunclody from Ferns, due to the complete absence of a bus route.”

“How have Ministers Moynihan and McEntee allowed the school transport system to reach this crisis point?”

“I’ve sent numerous pieces of correspondence to both Ministers, as well as to Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, but they continue to pass the buck. The Minister for Education claims she’s not responsible. The Minister for Transport says he’s not. The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth simply forwards the same information from Bus Éireann that both I and the parents already know—without offering any real solutions.”

“Thankfully, we did manage to secure some bus places for students over the past month, but it seems that SEN routes for special education were the most affected. These are our most vulnerable children, and once again, they are being let down by this Government.”

“We need to ask: why are private companies not submitting bids to Bus Éireann? This is contributing to the shortage of buses and drivers.”

“The entire school transport system needs to be re-evaluated. No child should be denied access to their school of choice due to a lack of bus places.”

“I was informed by a parent that four routes had been pulled for Gorey Hill Special School. This is government failure at its worst. We must invest more in our transport systems.”

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