Back-to-school: Tipperary TD calls on Minister to put on additional school buses

As schools across Tipperary and the rest of the country begin to reopen for the school year, many parents remain unsure if their children will have a school bus service.

Tipperary TD Michael Lowry has said that he has again contacted the Minister for Education calling for additional school buses to meet demand.

"I am also requesting that Bus Eireann immediately review its policy on forcing school bus drivers to retire when they reach 70 years of age. I raised this ridiculous situation in the Dail recently, emphasising the anomaly of school bus drivers’ requirement to retire at 70, while those of the same age are permitted to work in private hire and also for State Bodies," he said.

The Independent TD said that the current chaos with school transport had erupted as a result of an unprecedented number of applications for the coming year after Minister Norma Foley, announced that school transport fees would be waived amidst the spiraling cost-of-living crisis. The Minister said that this would provide significant savings for families, in the region of €500 for many.

The move resulted in a record 130,000 applications, with almost a third of these coming from first-time applicants. It has thrown the School Transport Scheme into disarray, as children who have used the service for several years are now being refused a ticket because they are no longer deemed to be eligible for School Transport, he said.

The Department of Education commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The steering group has presented the Minister with an Interim Report but, the completion of the review will not take place until the end of this year.

Deputy Lowry has been liaising directly with the regional school transport manager and has made representations for several of students at this point.

The regional office is dealing with each query, but that is taking time and responses are taking several days to come back.