Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy raised the issues around school transport in the Northern Sound region in the Dáil this week. He says that over the summer he was inundated with calls from local parents whose children were being 'denied' places on the school bus.
Speaking to Shannonside Northern Sound, Deputy Carthy pointed out that some buses are still not running and the Government review into the matter must be published with urgency. He highlighted how the report is a fundamental part of finding a solution to the existing problems.
Deputy Carthy added that there are numerous families across Co Monaghan that have found themselves "under pressure" to get children to school because of the "inadequacies" of the system. "The Department of Education owns and puts out, the contract to tender for delivery of the school bus service and Bus Eireann has been generally successful in winning that contract to deliver," he continued.
"So, at the end of the day, it is the taxpayer that is paying for this service through the Government's department and it is up to that department to make sure that the company that is operating that service - albeit a semi-state company - can deliver the service.
"And, that they to put in place the policies that ensure they have enough drivers and that they don't have archaic rules that prevent drivers from doing their jobs."
