Issues With School Bus Scheme Highlighted In Wexford Once Again

There are calls for decisions to be made on school bus places earlier in the summer so parents aren't caught when it comes to term time.

Independent Councillor Nicky Boland says many families are only finding out this week if their child has been successful in getting a place on the bus for next year.

A review of the current school bus scheme in 2024 recommended expanding access to an additional 100,000 students by 2030.

Councillor Boland says it's ridiculous that the decision is left so late for families who are trying plan for the year ahead:

"To let a parent know one week or 10 days before the school year that their child hasn't gotten a bus ticket is unacceptable.

"Some of these children could be 3rd, 4th or 5th years and they had tickets for the last three or two years and now they don't so it's putting families in turmoil."

He's calling on the Department of Education to speed up the process of allocating the bus places.

Over 130 thousand school bus tickets have been issued for students across the country for this school year.

Councillor Boland says this is an issue that comes around every year and yet we're never prepared for it:

"Get the decisions made earlier. They opened the portal on the 27th of February this year, why not the 1st of February and close is earlier?

"They should do more research earlier in the year, send out emails to primary schools and ask how many students do you have in sixth class.

"Try to foresee the problem that is coming down the tracks and get on top of it."

Parents say they're frustrated with the lack of answers coming from officials on the school bus scheme.

The Minister of State at the Department of Education Michael Moynihan says the department will need to make an "informed decision" about any changes that are made to the scheme.

Councillor Boland says the first issue that needs to be addressed is communication:

"There's no one to talk to. The parents are ringing Bus Eireann, sending emails and there's an automated response.

"There's nothing that frustrates people more than not being able to talk to somebody.

"They spend 13 billion euro on Education, increase that and make it more possible for a person to speak to another person."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.