Students left stranded by school transport crisis

Parents living in Moynalvey who applied and paid for bus tickets for their secondary school children say they are 'furious' at being told just days before the new term begins that their tickets have been revoked. 

Parents of new first-year and returning pupils attending Boyne Community School and Scoile Mhuire in Trim applied for tickets at the beginning of the summer and many have been told that will not get seats due to a shortage of space leaving students stranded with just days to go until the new school term commences on 28th August. 

A majority of children qualify automatically for bus transport on the basis that they live at least 3.2km from their nearest primary school or 4.8km from a secondary school. Once these children are catered for the so-called “concessionary” seats for children that are not automatically eligible for transport are allocated using a random selection process. These children are considered only after eligible children have been facilitated.

In many cases, children who have had school bus places for several years have been told no place is available for them. 

 

The community in Moynalvey came together 

Parents came together yesterday evening to voice their frustration and are calling on the government to come up with a fast track solution. 

Hazel Thompson Carty's son is due to start the second year in Boyne Community School and has been told by Bus Éireann that there is no room for him on the bus in the coming year.

"All of the parents received emails to say that their children's tickets had been revoked with just nine working days until the new term starts. We have always been in the catchment area for Trim and our primary school in Moynalvey is the feeder school for Trim. We are 2.7km closer to Scoil Dara in Kilcock than Boyne Community School so my son was not fully eligible for a place on the bus and was given a concessionary ticket. 

"Historically children from Moynalvey have always gone to secondary schools Trim.  Here we are now with just a week to go until school starts with no transport for our children despite the fact that we all paid for it in July. 

"The department of education want the children to go to the school closest to where they live but that's horrendously unfair, what about the democratic choice? The students could be accommodated by putting on a bigger bus but this has been refused. 
 

"The untold stress that this is taking on students and their families is entirely avoidable. We are asking that our children have bus tickets to go to school in their community while we go out and work and pay tax. It's not too much to ask. 

"Scoil Daire is in Killock which is in Co, Kildare. Trim is in Meath and Monalvey is in Meath. It might be technically closer to go to Kilcock but it's a different county to where we live, where the children play football and socialise. For generations, we have gone to school in Trim. 

 

Students have been left high and dry with no transport with just days to new school term 

Olivia Deegan says that this situation has caused huge stress to her family with two of her children entering important exam years,

"I have three children who are due to go to start secondary school in Trim at End of August. My daughter is due to start in Scoil Mhuire in Trim as a first-year student and my sons are beginning very important exam years, one in Junior Cert and the other in Leaving Cert. Both of my sons have travelled on the bus from Moynalvey from first year and now it is deemed there is no room for them. 

"We only got notice of this last Friday.  This has caused an enormous amount of stress on the family. Trim is a feeder school from Moynalvey and should, therefore, I feel the pupils should be accommodated on the bus as eligible and not as concessionary as now is the case. We need this changed now so we and other families will not have to deal with this stress and worry every year." 

Natasha Brewer is another parent who has been left in the lurch

"I have two girls who attend Scoil Mhuire Trim and no longer have a place on the bus. My oldest child has been on the bus for the last three years and my next daughter was on it last year too. The bus will still be coming through Moynalvey collecting both eligible and concessionary children. This does not make sense. 

 

"I have the same address as people who are eligible just a field away. Who decides the boundaries? Why should I be told that I can only send my children to Kilcock school on a bus?  I am not in a position to get my children to trim as I have another child in primary school. I cannot afford to pay for a private bus. 

"The stress of all this is making me ill.  My children are due back to school in two weeks and I've no way of getting them there and no road to appeal."

A number of local politicians were in attendance including TD Thomas Byrne who said:

"This is an issue that arises every year but it's rare that it impacts an entire community. It's completely wrong to pull the rug under them in the middle of their education. Children simply won't be able to get to school. I've proposed over the last couple of years that anyone who has a concessionary ticket should keep a concessionary ticket for the duration of their schooling.

"Everyone that wanted a ticket has had one up to now but there's an increase of children applying for transport from Summerhill and so Moynalvey kids are expected to make their own way to Trim which is completely unacceptable." 

"We have written to John Halligan, Minister for Training, Skills, Research and Development and are waiting on a response." 

Bus Éireann has commented that:

"Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education & Skills. Children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department of Education & Skills/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility will be determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the nearest education centre.

"The availability of concessionary transport may vary from year to year, is not available on public scheduled services and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s post-primary school education cycle. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann will determine the allocation of the tickets via a computerised random selection process." 

"Bus Éireann is continuing to process applications to ensure seats are allocated to as many applicants as possible across all routes."