INISHOWEN SENATOR Padraig Mac Lochlainn has welcomed confirmation that Minister for School Transport, John Halligan, is to review a long-running issue in the peninsula with a view to finding a solution.
Department of Education officials are adament that schoolchildren in Urris must attend school in Buncrana should they wish to avail of school busses.
Department chiefs claim that Buncrana is the closest town, but locals have traditionally attended school in Carndonagh and dispute the using of a route through Mamore Gap as the basis for the Department’s argument.
Today, Senator Mac Lochlainn and Deputy Charlie McConalogue met with Minister Halligan.
“I welcome the opportunity to meet Minister Halligan and his senior department officials,” Senator Mac Lochlainn said.
“At the meeting we conveyed the anger of families in the Urris area of Inishowen and indeed the anger of people across Inishowen at this “shortest traversable route” rule that measures the closest school to a family’s home but includes routes for pedestrians and cycling even though in real practical terms, it is a route to be accessed safely by a school bus.
“This policy is patently unfair and in the case of Urris, has resulted in families in half of the area losing their automatic right to a place on the school bus to Carndonagh. Also it has resulted in some families paying hundreds of euro in charges where there were none before.
“The Minister has agreed to further review this issue and examine options for a solution. I trust that common sense will prevail”
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