'Unfair' - Concern that increasing school transport fees will 'hit Kildare families hard'
A councillor based in Newbridge has called on the Minister for Education needs to reverse the decision
Families and rural communities throughout County Kildare are being hit again by a school transport fee hike, according to one local representative.
According to Social Democrats councillor Chris Pender, who represents the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District, the government’s decision to increase school transport fees will hit Kildare families hard, especially those in rural areas who depend on school transport every day.
Cllr Pender also claimed that this latest increase shows how "out of touch the government is with the reality facing working parents".
'NOT SOME OPTIONAL ADD-ON'
He elaborated: "In counties like Kildare, school transport is not some optional add-on.
"For many families, especially in rural areas, it is the only realistic way their children can get to school.
"This fee hike will land hardest on families who already have no choice; they cannot walk their children to school, and they often do not have a regular public transport alternative."
Cllr Pender added that, in many cases, parents "are already juggling long commutes, childcare, and rising household bills," and claimed: "Now, they are being told to pay even more."
He continued: "Doubling the fee for primary school children and increasing the secondary fee by 33 per cent is a serious blow, but raising the family cap from €125 to €220 makes it worse again.
"The government keeps talking about free education, but families across Kildare know that is nonsense. There is nothing free about an education system where parents are constantly being hit for more, whether it is transport, uniforms, voluntary contributions, school activities, or day-to-day costs."
INCREASING POPULATION
Cllr Pender further said: "This is especially unfair in a county like Kildare, where population growth has been massive, housing has spread far beyond town centres, and many families live in areas where they rely on school buses to make the school day possible.
"Parents are already under pressure from every direction. Rent is high; mortgages are high; food prices are high; energy bills are high; and childcare costs are high. Instead of easing the pressure, the government has chosen to pile on another bill."
“This is another example of families outside Dublin being treated as an afterthought.
"Rural families and families in growing commuter counties like Kildare are expected to just absorb the cost and get on with it, and that is not good enough.
"School transport is an essential service; it should be properly funded, not turned into another way of taking more money from families."
Lastly, Cllr Pender called on the Minister for Education, Hildegarde Naughton TD (Fine Gael), to "reverse this decision immediately".
"Parents in Kildare are already stretched to breaking point; they should not be punished for where they live or for needing a bus to get their children to school," Cllr Pender concluded.
Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender. File photograph
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