Green TD – Steven Matthews is engaging directly with Bus Éireann and the Department of Education office in charge of the School Bus Scheme to seek an urgent review of Route B9043 that operates from Manor Kilbride to Blessington Community College. As schools return, there are a number of families that qualify for a place on this route that have been told they won’t have a bus ticket this year.
Discussing the issue, Deputy Matthews said:
“I am working with several families in Manor Kilbride that qualify for a school bus place as per the criteria set out by the Department of Education and in some cases, had places on the same school bus route last year. If this issue isn’t resolved, the impact on these families will be huge.
“The return to schools each year is already a stressful time for families and students and to have a lack of certainty around transport is deeply unfair”.
“I am engaging directly with both Bus Éireann and the Department of Education to seek a review of this route and specifically to request a larger bus that could accommodate more students. While I accept that there are always logistical issues when dealing with such a huge volume of students at a national level, I hope that a solution can be found to swap out buses from a lower demand route and that all students that qualify for a ticket, can be accommodated.
“I will continue to engage with the Minister for Education and Bus Éireann on this issue and emphasise the need to prioritise a resolution for this route. If there are any other parents experiencing issues with the school bus system – I would encourage them to get in touch with me directly and I will help in any way I can”, concluded Deputy Matthews.
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