Govt to press ahead with cuts to school transport scheme

The Government will press ahead with cuts to the school bus transport scheme, a minister told more than 400 parents and teachers at a meeting in Listowel, Co Kerry last night.

Junior Education Minister Ciarán Cannon said the country is borrowing €350m a week and savings had to be made.

He says €17m savings on school bus transport had to be made between now and 2014.

The cuts were introduced in Budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil/ Green Government but are being implemented by Fine Gael and Labour.

From next September, primary school children will be charged a minimum of €50 per year for bus transport rising to a maximum charge of €650 per family.

The minimum number of children required to establish a bus route will rise from seven to 10.

Children who had free transport to amalgamated schools will now have to pay and from next year, children starting primary school will qualify for transport to the nearest school, which may not be in their parish.

Minister Cannon said costs of school bus transport had risen from €50m in 1997 to €180m last year despite the numbers using the service having fallen in that period.

Over 400 people attended the meeting in the Listowel Arms Hotel last night, some travelling from as far away as Waterford and Cork.