FF candidate leads picket over school bus issue
Councillor Niall Collins last night called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to personally intervene warning that parent anger over the issue could cost the party the next election.
Mr Collins, who was recently nominated to stand in West Limerick for Fianna Fáil, launched a scathing attack on Education Minister Mary Hanafin and Ms de Valera over their handling of the issue.
Today he will lead more than 60 West Limerick parents when they travel to Ennis to protest outside Ms de Valera’s office.
Mr Collins said: “This issue is turning into political dynamite around the country. The level of public parent anger out there just doesn’t seem to have hit home with the minister. I have been to meetings and watched staunch Fianna Fáil people walking away from the party in droves over this. Mary Hanafin needs to get her act together, and fast.
“I have been unable to contact her or her Junior Minister Síle de Valera and this is very frustrating. We can’t contact them and parents are screaming at us on the ground to get the mess sorted out.”
Mr Collins added that the situation has got so serious that the Taoiseach needs to personally intervene.
He said: “It is estimated that up to 10,000 students are being deprived of bus transport over the new rule on one-for-one seating.
“That’s 20,000 parents with votes, or three Dáil seats. And then there is the ripple effect with relations and others who will take it out on Government candidates.”
Mr Collins said he attended a meeting in Ballybrown GAA club on Thursday night at which than 60 parents told of how 35 local school children were being left without school transport from next Tuesday.
He said: “Many of these are Fianna Fáil supporters and I could see them walking away from the party over what is happening.
“It would not take a lot of money to sort out the matter. The situation in Ballybrown could be dealt with by putting on an additional bus at a cost of €35,000.
“Nationally it would require additional funding of about €6 million. This is not a huge outlay, but without it we will pay a huge political cost on the ground at grassroot level.”
Mr Collins said this is a “political timebomb”.
“And people at the top better begin to realise it,” he added.
