Lack of school transport for Newbridge and Kildare town students raised in Seanad

A Fianna Fáil senator has highlighted the lack of public transport for students from Newbridge and Kildare town attending Curragh Community College.

Senator Fiona O'Loughlin raised the issue with Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth, Michael Moynihan in the Seanad on Wednesday, June 11 2025.

Senator O'Loughlin told the Seanad: “South Kildare is a growing area. We have excellent schools in Newbridge and Kildare town, but with the population growing, there are not enough places. We are practically at capacity at primary school level and over capacity at second level.

“A commitment was made by the previous education Minister that we would have a new school at McGee barracks, on the edge of Kildare town, close to the Curragh, and that it would be where the children who did not have places in current schools in Newbridge and Kildare would go. We are still waiting for the shovel to go into the ground, even though that is happening at pace.

“What we do in the interim is important to the pupils, who deserve, need and expect a secondary school place, as do their families.”

Senator O'Loughlin said that Curragh Community College is “an excellent school” which is under the auspices of the ETB.

She said the principal, Ms Nessa Doyle, and her staff are “second to none” in terms of the work they carry out with the support of the Department of Defence, which is also the patron of the school.

Senator O'Loughlin said the school has opened their facilities and secured additional accommodation to deal with extra demand, bringing capacity to twice what it had previously been.

The problem, the senator explained, is that no school transport has been put in place for students travelling from Newbridge and Kildare town.

She pointed out that policy dictates that where there are more than 10 students travelling, Bus Éireann, which has the contract, must put on a bus for these students.

“It never has”, she said, adding “it is simply not good enough.”

Senator O'Loughlin said there is some public transport system from Newbridge but that it is not consistent.

She added: “The Department of Education is saying that, because they (the students) are outside the catchment area for this school, they are not entitled to school transport. I brought this up approximately two years ago and was told that it would be sorted.

“That was the pinch point, when the extra students were starting to go to Curragh Community College. Sadly, it is still not rectified.

“While we are waiting for this new school, it is really important that school transport is put in place for the students who have to travel from Newbridge and from Kildare town. The Department of Education has that responsibility and owes it to the students and their families.”

Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, who offered a lengthy reply, concluded by saying he would “endeavour to work with the Senator to try to find a resolution to the specific issue she has asked me about.”

He said: “Her points are well made. We will go back under the bonnet to see what the issues with it are. We will work on the figures we have. It will be a number of weeks before everything is in place but we will work to find a satisfactory solution to the challenges and issues the Senator has found.

“If she liaises with me and my team over the coming weeks, we will work with her to find a solution. If we can find one, we will be very much to the fore in trying to bring it to fruition.”

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