Frustration at Fine Gael meeting over Norma Foley's handling of School Transport Scheme

Education Minister Norma Foley. 'All parents want to know if the issue is going to be solved, but she won’t even tell them that,' said a source at the Fine Gael meeting. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Education Minister Norma Foley was the subject of a barrage of criticism at a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting over her handling of the School Transport Scheme.

Contributions to the meeting were highly critical of the Fianna Fáil TD's lack of foresight, with sources saying that senators Tim Lombard and Garret Ahearn had both raised the issue.

Mr Ahearn is said to have told the meeting that "the dogs on the street" knew the system would be thrown into chaos when a decision was made to make the school buses free of charge.

More than 6,000 children who applied for school bus places did not get a space as demand soared when the Government announced that school transport fees would be waived to ease cost-of-living pressures on families.

One source at the Fine Gael meeting said Ms Foley “won’t admit she fucked it up”.

All parents want to know if the issue is going to be solved, but she won’t even tell them that, so they can’t plan long-term and instead are waiting and hoping something will change," the source said.

“That’s what’s driving people mad and, to be honest, parents would have been happy enough to pay for the service so this would be avoided.”

Sources said that Mayo TD Michael Ring said he would struggle to vote for the budget if further carbon taxes are included.

The carbon tax is set to increase next month despite political pushback from some Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs.

However, there was widespread approval for Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys' pension plan including the right to retire at 66, the option to work to 70, and pensions for carers. 

Fine Gael TDs also gave approval to her plans to examine the possibility of early retirement for manual workers in their 60s who have 40 years or more of PRSI contributions.

Fianna Fáil meeting

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TDs and senators clashed with hotel representatives at a meeting last night over perceptions of price-gouging.

Sources said that representatives of the industry said that if the Vat rate on hotels goes back to 13.5%, consumers will be hit with the price rise, prompting "sharp" responses from the Fianna Fáil members.

"It was put to them that the Vat cut didn't result in lower prices," said one party source.

The hotel people tried to suggest that we, as politicians, would be paying more if prices went up, which was a hard-necked move.

"But there's a lot of examples of their price-gouging. It's basic supply and demand with the rooms taken out by the Ukrainians and homeless, but they were told that it wasn't in the best interests of the country."