Families in Louth left stranded by broken school transport system

Louth TD Erin McGreehan has called for urgent reform of the school transport system, warning that families across the county are being left “stranded” by bus cancellations, restrictive rules and what she described as an “unfair lottery system.”

Speaking in the Dáil this week, Deputy McGreehan said school transport problems have become an “annual event” for parents in Louth and nationwide.

“I meet frustrated parents. We all get emails and phone calls about stranded children, no certainty and a remarkably unfair lottery system,” she said. “The children of Louth and every county deserve a school transport system that works and is reliable, fair and safe.”

McGreehan highlighted particular challenges in north Louth, where children in Omeath and Carlingford often attend Bush Post Primary School but are not served by any bus route. “It is chaos at that school every morning and evening,” she said. “There is chaos at that school every morning and evening. It is a nightmare. Most parents drive to collect their children because, number one, there are no buses and, number two, it is unsafe to allow a child to walk to the school.”

She also pointed to recent bus cancellations in Clogherhead and Collon just days before schools reopened, which left parents scrambling to make alternative arrangements. “It leaves children stranded and parents unable to get to work. It puts worry and stress on families,” she told the chamber.

The Fianna Fáil TD criticised the restrictive eligibility rules around distance and nearest schools, arguing that they do not reflect the realities of family life. She called for reforms including lowering the distance thresholds, removing the nearest school requirement, and expanding capacity.

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While acknowledging that the Government had worked to address some issues in recent weeks, McGreehan noted that overall capacity has not improved despite costs doubling from €219 million in 2019 to over €500 million in 2025. “If we are spending double and it is still around 20% of students using school transport, we are not doing what we need to do,” she said.

She also described as “ludicrous” the current rule that prevents drivers over the age of 70 from operating school buses, at a time when rural areas are already struggling with driver shortages.

Concluding her remarks, McGreehan urged the Government to end reliance on pilot projects and act decisively: “We know the problems and have been dealing with them for years. We must not be stuck in perpetual trial mode.”