Louth councillor calls for review of compulsory retirement age for school bus drivers

Cllr John Reilly has written to Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), with the Louth councillor urging a review of the current policy that mandates school bus drivers to retire at the age of 70.

With bus companies across the country facing severe recruitment challenges, Cllr Reilly has proposed extending the compulsory retirement age to 72, provided that drivers pass a suitable medical examination.

“A significant portion of our current school bus drivers are semi-retired individuals who bring years of valuable experience to the job,” said Cllr Reilly. “Given the chronic shortage of drivers, it makes no sense to enforce a blanket retirement at 70 when many of these drivers are more than capable of continuing in their roles safely.”

The Fine Gael councillor says that bus companies have the vehicles and the capacity to accommodate more routes and services, but the main issue is the chronic lack of qualified drivers.

Read also: Louth teen wins best innovation at national youth awards

Highlighting the nationwide struggle to recruit and retain qualified bus drivers, Cllr Reilly described the proposal as a “common-sense compromise” that would help alleviate immediate pressures on school transport services while maintaining the highest standards of safety.

“With appropriate medical assessments in place, extending the retirement age to 72 would be a practical and safe measure that acknowledges the reality of our current driver shortages,” he added. “It’s a modest but meaningful step to support our communities and ensure the continued reliability of school transport.”

Cllr Reilly has called on CIÉ and the Department of Transport to seriously consider this proposal as part of broader efforts to address the school bus driver shortage.