Children ‘uprooted’ over school bus cuts

Budget cuts to state-funded school transport schemes are uprooting children from their communities and heaping heavy costs on parents, it has been claimed.

Parents will confront a senior minister today over the cuts and lack of bus seats for their children after having already purchased uniforms and books, and enrolling youngsters in classes for the coming year.

A mother-of-five spoke of the chaos, particularly in rural areas, after parents were only told in recent weeks their children would not be eligible for transport to their chosen school.

Cindy Flahive, from Ballylongford, Co Kerry, said her son Aidan, 13, has special needs but also has a high aptitude for certain subjects, such as advanced sciences, and wanted to go to Tarbert Comprehensive School in North Kerry.

But these programmes and subjects would not be available if Aidan was forced to attend the community college in Listowel, as dictated by the new school transport rules, she said.

“[Aidan has] met the teachers, chosen the subjects, and done tests for Tarbert. But then bus inspectors with the scheme told us he was outside the catchment area by just 200m and would therefore have to take the free bus to Listowel, which they claim is nearer from where we live.”

Ms Flahive and other parents will today confront Jimmy Deenihan, the arts minister and local TD, who used to teach PE at Tarbert Comprehensive School but is on a leave of absence, with their concerns.

Ursula Barrett, a member of a North Kerry local parents council, explained: “There are a large number of parents in utter turmoil as they have just been unexpectedly hit with the news that their child does not have a seat on a bus to their chosen school yet many have tried to gain entry to their nearest school to be told there is no space at the school. Many families genuinely are not in a position to pay for transport and do not know what they are to do.”

Ms Barrett said parents would put pressure on Mr Deenihan today to highlight their concerns with his Cabinet colleague Ruairi Quinn, the education minister, and to push for exemptions for families.

“This is not going to go away and is a national issue. The meeting is to eyeball him and say that,” Ms Flahive said.

Dozens of families in the region are being forced to consider moving their children out of schools because their homes are considered closer to other schools.

The other option is to pay €350 per child for state buses for the year or even more for private buses.

Ms Flahive, who faces a bill of nearly €1,000 if she wants to keep son Aidan at Tarbert, said: “By charging parents more or making children move schools, they’re breaking up communities. It’s so unfair for rural communities and there’s no flexibility.”

The Department of Education must save €17m from transport costs by 2014. A spokeswoman said families could appeal to the school transport appeals board.