IRL welcome changes to school transport scheme
Irish Rural Link (IRL) – the national network representing the interest of rural communities, has welcomed the announcement this week by Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD, of the publication of the School Transport Scheme 2030 Report and some of the measures contained within it.
In particular, IRL welcome the introduction of reduced distance criteria to access the school transport scheme. For many years, IRL have called for the abolishment of the distance criteria, as the organisation believes that this was a barrier to school children in rural areas accessing education and increased costs to rural households with the need for a second car.
The current distance of 3.2km will be reduced to 1km for primary schools for the 2025/26 school year and 2km for post primary schools for the 2024/25 school year.
These reductions are welcome as it will reduce the need for parents to drive children to school, IRL said, however, the rural organisation would like to see the primary school distance reduce a little further because of safety concerns for children walking or cycling to school within the 1km. Children may still need to be driven to school within this distance.
Irish Rural Link also welcomed that the ‘nearest school’ criteria will also be removed in the new School Transport Scheme. This will allow children more choice or if attend a non-denominational school to now have the transport available to them.
Lowering the distance criteria, will mean there will be more demand for the scheme. Every August and September IRL is told that the scheme is over-subscribed with children unable to get a place.
"There will be a need for more buses available to cater for the increase in numbers. While Bus Eireann are the current providers of the scheme on behalf of the Department of Education, IRL would see Local Link bus services play an important role in the scheme as well as private operators who may already be providing a private bus service to a school," the Moate-based organisation said in a statement today (Friday).
The extra bus seats will need to be in place before the new school year in September so children can avail of the scheme, IRL warned.
"If the Government are serious about reducing carbon emissions and want people to reduce their use of private car, measures in the new scheme must be implemented quickly," IRL concluded.