An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-22
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William Aird (FG), Laois

I raise the issue of school transport. I have been inundated with contacts from parents whose children do not have a school bus ticket this year. Many of them had tickets for several years but, this year, they have none. These include children going into sixth class in primary school and sixth year in post-primary school. There is confusion regarding the difference between eligible and concessionary tickets. There is a lack of clarity about how distances are measured. Some children have no seat just because the bus is too small. We cannot expect children to move school because transport has changed. As one parent put it simply to me, the children get their books and their school meals but what good is any of that if they cannot get to school? I ask the Minister to ensure the shortcomings in the school transport scheme are urgently addressed so that children are not left behind before the school day even begins.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-22