‘Parents should not be dealing with this every year’

School bus saga rumbles on

Some parents are threatening to walk their children to school in a silent protest over school bus seats.

The measure is one being considered by families on routes across County Cavan who are fighting for bus tickets with classes set to resume in less than two weeks.

The students impacted have ‘concessionary’ status on the current system and have missed out due to the ‘nearest school rule’ and a lack of capacity on existing buses.

The situation is particularly serious in the Mullahoran/Kilnaleck area where the parents of around 20 children were informed by Bus Éireann that there are no seats available and refunds have already issued in some cases.

Deputy Brendan Smith has confirmed that “smaller numbers” of children are impacted by the situation countywide.

Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, Deputy Smith highlighted the difficulties faced by parents “every single year”, which he says boils down to “lack of capacity”.

“This is something that is causing a lot of concern for parents and I have spoken to a number of parents whose children have not yet been accommodated on the school bus for the coming academic year,” he continued.

“I have also spoken to Bus Éireann and I really think that the criteria for the school transport service needs to be improved so that we can avoid these difficulties happening every year.”

The affected families in south Cavan were informed by the School Transport section of Bus Éireann that the vehicle (A20) is now operating at capacity “and there is no room to accommodate your child”.

The families are on what is known as ‘concessionary tickets’, meaning they are not guaranteed seats on the public system as they do not attend their nearest secondary school geographically.

The letter goes on to state: “Any closed or cancelled applications are checked on a daily basis and redistributed to the next in-line applicant.

“However, there are a number of pupils who applied for a ticket and were unsuccessful in securing one for the 24/25 school year. Please be assured Bus Éireann has exhausted all avenues to accommodate pupils. It is not open to Bus Éireann to create additional capacity or engage additional vehicles. A full refund will be processed, if applicable, in due course.”

Some refunds have in fact already issued, which is adding to parents’ concerns that their children will be left behind.

The children impacted reside in the Granard/Ballyjamesduff school catchment areas and the 20 seats they have lost out on will now be allocated to children getting on the bus in Ballinagh because they are in the Cavan Town school catchment area.

Ciara Donohoe’s two teenage children - who reside in Ballymachugh - have been getting the bus to St Pat’s and Loreto College for the last three years at Lavagh Cross. She says the bus makes “umpteen stops” through Ballyheelan, Mullahoran and Ballinagh to get the children to schools in Cavan Town and those attending the Royal School appear to be the only children not impacted by the concessionary ticket saga this year.

“My son is in fifth year in St Pat’s and my daughter is in second year in Loreto College; my husband is a teacher, I’m a nurse and we are not available to drop children to school,” she said, before adding that she wants her children to attend schools within the county.

“What is needed is a second bus, a 30 seater bus; it’s like the Department of Education doesn’t want country children in town schools,” she fumed.

Meanwhile, further up the road and living in the Ballyjamesduff school catchment area, Pauline Clarke’s two teenage children have also been told there is no spaces for them on the A20 school bus for the new academic year.

“We understand that Ballinagh needs 20 extra seats on this bus and that’s where our children’s seats are going,” she added.

“Ballinagh is in the catchment area and we aren’t.”

Pauline has paid for private transport to the schools for her children in the past. She claims it costs her €1,320 per child per year, whereas the public system is capped at €175 per year per family.

“I face the same stress and worry over the concessionary tickets. The private bus, in fact, runs in this area because of this specific issue. Minister for Education, Norma Foley, said the second school review would be enforced this year and I thought, ‘this is it, we are not going to have any more problems’. But here we are again. Now 20 children are being taken off the bus,” she lamented.

“I met with local TDs, Minister Foley and Bus Éireann representatives in the Dáil last year and they assured me that the matter would be looked into. Now I find myself with no other option but to put my two children on the Local Link so that they can get to school.”

Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, Cllr Philip Brady (FF) said he was inundated with complaints over the matter by concerned parents. He says it’s difficult to comprehend how the Department of Education and Bus Éireann allow the same problems to arise “year, after year, after year”.

“This time of year is stressful enough trying to get kids back to school without having to deal with not having a place on the school bus,” he continued before adding: “I don’t understand why this situation cannot be fixed. An outdated system is being used and that needs to change.

“Bus Éireann is now saying that those who didn’t get tickets on the A20 can travel to schools in Granard or Ballyjamesduff, but for children who have been in secondary schools in Cavan Town for the last two, three or four years, why would you expect them to leave their school or their friends? Bus Éireann knew well that this was going to happen. Why is there such difficulty with providing an extra bus when it’s needed?”

Another source close to the saga suggested that one possible solution is to upgrade a 24-seater bus from Gowna (route A16965) to a larger bus to pick up the extra passengers in Ballinagh, releasing concessionary seats on the A20.

Sinn Féin’s Pauline Tully added: “A school transport review was carried out; the findings were published in February; and it recommended that the requirements of attending your nearest school and living at least 4.8km from the school be done away with. Bus Éireann says it must comply with the rules laid down by the Department of Education but parents should not have to be dealing with this every year. All the Minister needs to do is just increase capacity.”