The Education Minister is being told by her Fine Gael government colleagues that she has three months to sort out the School Transport Scheme.
130,000 schoolchildren avail of the school bus places, but some families, including in Carlow and Kilkenny, have faced at times annual delays in getting their tickets at the start of each academic year.
A review of the scheme was launched in February 2021 and is understood to be on Minister Norma Foley’s desk.
Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard says she has 12 weeks to make sure the new scheme is fit for purpose; “Basically in April you have the closing date for your actual ticket so you have to apply by next April to get your ticket for next September, if Norma Foley doesn’t have this system rolled out and a new scheme in place we’re working off the old scheme again which means literally we’re going to be 18 months away before a new scheme’s in place, new changes will in place, which is going to be terrible for the people that are literally left off the school bus”.
He adds; “This has been one of the most annoying issues about the last three or four years, school transportation next September if there’s no changes will be the same it was last September and the September before”.
