Second-level students to be accommodated in attending next-nearest school

A Steering Group last week reported to Minister for Education, Norma Foley, with its initial preliminary report on the review of the School Transport Scheme.

This will result in transport arrangements being provided for a number of post-primary students who are attending their second nearest school, who have applied and paid on time and who live more than 4.8km from their nearest school.

The review of the scheme follows reports last year, as published in The Avondhu, where large numbers of local second-level students were left without school transport. This included 16 students in Glenville who were left without transport to schools in Fermoy, with a lack of adequate school transport also noted at the time in Kildinan, Ballynoe/ Conna, Araglin, Rathcormac and Glanworth.

Minister Foley's announcement of the new arrangements, is set to see transport being provided for an estimated 1,800 post-primary pupils in the 2021/22 school year, who otherwise would not be accommodated under the scheme.

“This arrangement will be in place for the coming school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, which will involve a thorough review of the School Transport Scheme and from which further recommendations for any changes of a permanent nature will ensue,” she said.

‘ONLY A DROP IN THE OCEAN’

Cork East TD Seán Sherlock, has said that the review actions announced by the Government is welcome, but is only a drop in the ocean on what is needed. From a prorate approach, Cork would stand to gain only 69 extra school places.

“The decision of the preliminary report of the Steering Group to maintain the school transport system as is, is deeply flawed,” said Deputy Sherlock.

“An additional 1,800 places across the State could see the county of Cork gain a mere additional 69 places across routes. Families need results on this. The annual scramble for concessionary tickets is unedifying and not fair to families. The fact is, the system is not currently fit for purpose and the Government parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party know that.

“That we have waited since October 2019 for the results of this review and the response is everything is fine, work away, is not good enough. These moves won’t deliver for families, we need more capacity added.”

AVOIDING 'USUAL MAYHEM'

Last week's announcement was welcomed by Rathcormac councillor, William O’Leary, who in 2020 branded the School Transport System ‘an embarrassment’, noting that the issue was an ongoing one, mainly due to underfunding. He claimed that the catchment areas were last revised in the 1970s and since then, the population in rural areas, such as Glenville, had grown significantly.

"I will be working with the Department locally with Bus Eireann to ensure the usual mayhem does not prevail come August/September," he said.

Earlier this year, Cllr O’Leary tabled a motion at the Northern Committee meeting, calling for a ‘state of readiness’ in the school transport system. West Waterford councillor, John Pratt called for similar resolutions, as he wrote to Ministers in April to act ahead of the new school year.

STEERING GROUP REPORT

Following the commencement of the review in February 2021 and a detailed analysis and report conducted by the Technical Working Group in the interim period, the Steering Group has presented its initial interim report, a report on eligibility with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next-nearest school, for consideration by the Minister.

In its report, the Steering Group notes that the Technical Working Group recommends maintaining the scheme as it currently operates pending the outcome of the full review, but with temporary alleviation measures to continue on the post-primary transport scheme services.

These temporary alleviation measures allow for funds to be allocated to those areas where there is a significant number of post-primary pupils who apply and pay on time, who fulfil the eligibility distance criteria from their nearest school, but who were attending their second nearest school. Accordingly, concessionary tickets will be allocated subject to capacity and available resources.

Wider considerations relating to the objectives of the scheme and the criteria for eligibility will take place in the next phase of the review, which is now underway.

School Transport Scheme services for the upcoming school year will continue to operate in line with prevailing public health guidelines.

The Steering Group will continue to report to the Minister on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.

The decision of the preliminary report of the Steering Group to maintain the school transport system as is, is deeply flawed