Students win fight for school bus passes

A CO LIMERICK parish was last night celebrating a victory for people power after the Department of Education issued school bus tickets to 38 secondary students who were struck off school bus transport last August.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced the decision to grant children from Clarina bus tickets to travel to school in Pallaskenry, although they are in the catchment area of schools in Limerick city.

It is part of an overall review of secondary school needs in Limerick.

Junior Education Minister Síle de Valera, who is in charge of school bus services, refused to give way on the issue.

She maintained the same catchment area rule should apply for the Clarina students as the rest of the country.

Parents mounted a massive campaign and lobbied Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and other ministers repeatedly.

They also drew up a petition with 10,000 names.

Last night, parents’ leader Mary Corby declared: “This is a great victory, a victory for people power. That is what this is all about. We expect it will take effect immediately.”

Parents have been pooling transport since the bus tickets were withdrawn last August.

Ms Corby revealed they were reaching the point where they were considering withdrawing their children from school.

She said: “With the car pooling there was a concern about insurance cover.”

Defence Minister Willie O’Dea also welcomed the decision.

Mr O’Dea said: “I am very happy for the parents and the students. It was a long, hard battle for them and I am sorry it took so long.

“Mary Hanafin took an understanding approach, but she was in a difficulty as her Minister of State, Síle de Valera, felt the situation should not change. I am delighted Mary Hanafin has acted as she did.”

Labour education spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan said: “The minister appears to have finally accepted the Limerick school places issue is not as simple as she initially thought.

“These parents have done a service to all families in Limerick by getting the minister and the department to address the school bus places issue.”

Former Fine Gael leader Micheal Noonan, who was involved in the campaign, said: “It was totally unnecessary to put these parents and children through all this trauma right into November. All they wanted was the status quo.

“I put in this transport arrangement for the area in 1995 when a minister and Willie O’Dea reaffirmed it when the department tried to pull the plug some years ago.”

It is believed the bus tickets will be given to the Clarina children attending Pallaskenry while secondary education needs in Limerick are reviewed.