School bus situation is ‘so unfair to families’ — Kildare councillor

The situation regarding school bus places is 'so unfair to families.'

That's according to one Kildare-based councillor, who made the comments in relaton to schools in Straffan Schools and in Clane.

Labour Party Cllr Angela Feeney said: "To think that families have only heard two weeks out from the start of the school term that their child no longer has a place on the bus to school, it's unacceptable and not a fair way to treat families."

Cllr Feeney also said that she has been asked to make representations of support to Bus Éireann and the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, by parents of children attending schools in Straffan Schools and in Clane.

She claimed that, as recently as last week, these parents found out that their children are not receiving bus tickets for the academic year 2023/24. 

The Kildare North representative elaborated: "The reason provided to the families is that the bus is full.

Cllr Angela Feeney, Labour Party. File photograph.

"The families concerned have used this school bus for the past two years and are working parents who rely on the bus transporting them to and from school. 

"Receiving such news just two weeks to the day of them starting back in school has been extremely stressful and upsetting and without the school bus they have no way of getting them to school."

Cllr Feeney has appealed to Bus Éireann 'to do all it can to help these families and resolve the capacity issues as soon as possible.'

"The return to school should be a happy time for children and this just causes such stress," she added.

Cllr Feeney further said that she has received the following reply from the Minister Foley's office: "The Minister for Education, Ms Norma Foley TD, has asked me to acknowledge your recent e-mail in relation to school transport for children attending Straffan National School, County Kildare. 

"Enquiries are being made about this matter and a further e-mail will issue as soon as possible."