'Sizeable number' of seats for county Longford pupils who had no school bus places
There has been a positive update two months after Cllr Martin Skelly criticised the lack of a response and 'standard answers' he had received from the Department of Education.
A local Fine Gael councillor has welcomed confirmation from Bus Éireann that additional school transport seats have been made available for a 'sizeable number' of pupils travelling from Newtowncashel to secondary schools in Ballymahon.
In August, Councillor Martin Skelly criticised the lack of a response and 'standard answers' he has received from the Department of Education and Education Minister in relation to up to a dozen students in the area who had been left without a school bus place.
The Newtowncashel-based local representative said local students and families had been left in a very bad situation and he has worked closely with Longford TD Micheál Carrigy and Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton to address the situation.
Cllr Skelly stated the announcement follows months of representations.
He described in August how close to a dozen children were left without school transport, with no additional bus funding approved and concerns were raised about the suitability of larger buses on narrow rural roads.
Speaking following the confirmation that more than half of the impacted students had now secured bus passes, Cllr Martin Skelly said, "I am delighted that following a thorough review of the existing routes by Bus Éireann, additional seats have now been made available to some of the pupils who were initially refused school transport.
“This has been an ongoing issue for families in Newtowncashel, and I have been making representations for several months, highlighting the difficulties parents and students have been facing.
“I want to thank Deputy Micheál Carrigy TD and Minister Hildegarde Naughton for their continued engagement and assistance in working towards a resolution. I also acknowledge Bus Éireann for reviewing the routes and identifying additional capacity.
“While this is very welcome news for the families who have now been offered seats, we are conscious that some students are still without school transport.
“Deputy Carrigy, Minister Naughton and I will continue working on behalf of those students who have not yet secured a seat, and we will continue to seek solutions to ensure that as many children as possible can access school transport.
“School transport is an essential service for rural families, and it is important that children living in areas such as Newtowncashel have the same opportunities to access education as those living in larger towns.”