IT ‘defies comprehension’ that a dedicated school bus service to transport children from Bantry to Schull has not materialised, according to Independent Ireland leader Deputy Michael Collins.
Parents of over 30 children in Bantry have been campaigning for the introduction of a bus which would bring children to and from Schull Community College.
They have pointed out that it is not environmentally-friendly to have 20 or more cars on the road twice a day, Monday to Friday But despite protests, a bus is yet to materialise.
Deputy Collins raised the issue in the Dáil, pointing out that parents are left with no option but to spend two hours a day transporting their children to school.
‘It simply defies comprehension that a school transport system with a budget of over €500m annually cannot accommodate the provision of a basic bus service for the schoolchildren of Bantry,’ said Deputy Collins.
‘I have repeatedly raised this issue with the current Minister for Education and her predecessor, but for some inexplicable reason the children of Bantry are being effectively ignored. This is entirely unacceptable.
‘The children satisfy all the of the relevant eligibility criteria in terms of distance and access to the scheme but progress on delivery has been non-existent.
‘We are not asking for a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars.
‘We are asking for a simple bus service capable of meeting the reasonable demands of parents who are rapidly losing patience with the inertia that is being displayed by the Department,’ concluded Deputy Collins.
