Radical overhaul of school transport scheme urged

Roscommon county councillors have unanimously backed a proposal calling for a radical overhaul of the school transport scheme.

During a discussion at the October plenary meeting of the local authority, the current situation was described as an unfair lottery system that leaves rural families under severe pressure each year.

The notice of motion, tabled by Independent councillor Tom Crosby, urged the Ministers for Education and Transport, the Department of Education and Bus Éireann to reform the scheme by introducing clear eligibility criteria, transparent allocation processes, timely communication and a responsive appeals system. It also called for pupils’ eligibility and seat allocations to be confirmed at least six weeks before schools reopen.

Cllr Crosby told the meeting the current system was failing rural families and causing unnecessary stress throughout the summer months.

He criticised the use of a lottery system to allocate places where demand exceeds capacity and argued that parents should not be left waiting until days before the start of the school year to find out whether their children have secured transport. He also called for siblings to be prioritised and for additional funding to ensure no child was left without a seat.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Moylan said some schools were victims of their own success, creating additional pressure on transport services. He highlighted concerns that some allocated seats remain unused while other families are left without transport. He supported measures to ensure siblings can attend the same school and travel together.

Independent councillor Micheál Frain described the current arrangements as an annual failure that repeatedly leaves families “on the side of the road”. He suggested that responsibility for the service could be moved to a more locally focused, needs-based model similar to Local Link.

Fine Gael councillor Ruth Conboy criticised rigid eligibility criteria that can exclude pupils over minor differences in distance, while also highlighting the problems caused by late notification of transport decisions. She said many of the issues had already been identified in previous reviews and called for action rather than further reports.

Independent councillor Valerie Byrne said councillors are contacted every year by concerned parents and pointed to the withdrawal of concessionary tickets as a significant factor in this year’s difficulties. She said working parents were being forced to make alternative childcare and transport arrangements when a reliable service should be available.

Fianna Fáil councillor John Keogh cited cases where children living just metres outside a catchment area was denied transport despite apparent spare capacity elsewhere. He also referenced the case of a child attending a special needs class whose working parent was forced to make alternative arrangements because of a lack of available places.

Independent councillor Laurence Fallon said the current system creates unnecessary hardship for families, particularly during the transition from primary to secondary school. He argued that catchment rules do not adequately reflect the realities facing young people and their families.

Fianna Fáil councillor Larry Brennan also raised concerns about catchment boundaries, describing a situation where a bus with spare capacity passed through a village but could not stop because the area fell marginally outside the designated zone.

Fine Gael councillor Valerie Duffy proposed widening the scope of the motion to include TFI Local Link transport and the Department of Rural and Community Development. She also suggested a review of the booking system to allow for changing family circumstances throughout the school year.

Independent Ireland councillor Nigel Dineen said transport difficulties arise across the country every year and argued that the scheme now requires a complete overhaul to better meet families’ needs.

Fianna Fáil councillor Marty McDermott described the uncertainty facing parents as “despicable”, saying families are often left waiting until the final days before the new school term before learning whether their children have secured a seat.

Fine Gael councillor Liam Callaghan called for greater integration between transport providers, suggesting that school transport and Local Link services should work more closely together. He warned that recurring issues with routes, tickets and capacity continue to disproportionately affect rural communities.

Sinn Fein councillor Leah Cull also supported the notice of motion and hoped that there would be positive change this time around while Cathaoirleach Domnick Connolly also backed the motion.

Concluding the debate, Cllr Crosby thanked councillors for their support, noting that successive reviews had failed to resolve longstanding issues. 

He said the focus must now be on ending reliance on the lottery system, providing certainty for families and ensuring adequate funding so that no child is left without school transport.

The motion was passed unanimously and it was also agreed that correspondence on the issue would be sent to the TII, Local Link and all local authorities.

*Published under the Local Democrarcy Reporting Scheme.