School bus charges treble in just a year

SCHOOL bus charges for some children will have trebled in a little more than a year when the latest budget rise comes into effect next summer.

Up to last Easter, the charge for second-level students up to Junior Certificate was €99 a year. The annual charge rose to €138 before the summer holidays and to €168 last month, but is now planned to go to €300 a year next summer.

The measure announced by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe in the budget has been given little attention up to now, but parents are fuming over what they see as a stealth charge.