Call for immediate action on school transport in north Louth

Dundalk-Carlingford’s Councillor Seán Kelly, has written to the Minister for Education, calling on her to intervene immediately, to resolve what he has described as a "completely unacceptable" school transport crisis affecting families whose children are due to start first year at Bush Technical School this September.

Cllr Kelly said he has been inundated with calls from worried parents after they were informed that there are no available places on the school bus serving Bush Technical School, despite many only attending the school because there were no places available in secondary schools closer to home.

"This is simply not good enough," said Cllr Kelly. These families are being let down twice. First, they couldn't get a place in their local secondary school because there wasn't enough capacity in Dundalk.

“Now they're being told there isn't a seat on the school bus to the school they have now accepted. That is fundamentally unfair."

Cllr Kelly said parents are facing an impossible situation just weeks before the start of the new school term.

"Parents did not make this choice. The system made it for them. In some cases they accepted places at Bush Technical School because there was no availability in town based schools for their children to go. The State cannot wash its hands of these families once school places have been allocated."

The Fianna Fáil councillor said the shortage of local school places has inevitably created additional demand for school transport and believes Bus Éireann and the Department of Education must respond without delay.

"We know exactly why demand has increased. This isn't unforeseen. If the education system requires children to travel further because local schools are full, then the transport system must keep pace. It's as simple as that."

Cllr Kelly has written directly to the Minister for Education calling for urgent intervention and for additional capacity to be provided on the Bush Technical School bus route before schools reopen.

"Starting secondary school should be an exciting milestone, not one overshadowed by uncertainty and stress. Parents are now scrambling to figure out how their children will get to school safely every day. That anxiety could and should be avoided."

He warned that time is running out. "The new school year is fast approaching. Families need answers now, not after schools reopen.

“I am urging the Minister and Bus Éireann to put the necessary buses in place before September. These students have every right to access their education without unnecessary barriers."

Cllr Kelly said the issue also exposes the need for better planning around second-level school capacity in Dundalk.

"No child should be disadvantaged because there weren't enough school places available in their own community.

“Families have done everything that was asked of them. It is now up to Government to ensure these students can get to school safely and reliably from day one."