A group of outraged parents are to meet tomorrow night in Termon to discuss the lack of school bus services in their area.
The group of parents of more than 30 pupils in the Termon/Kilmacrennan area say they are in “dire straits.”
They have now written a letter to the Taoiseach pleading with him to provide more seats on school buses for their children.
The meeting takes place in An Craoibhin in Termon at 8pm and all are invited.
The following is a copy of the letter sent to Leo Varadkar by the group.
Dear Mr Halligan/ An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
We the parents of 30+ children from Kilmacreanan/Termon are in dire straits.
On the 31st of August we each received an email indicating that there wasnt a sufficient number of seats on our bus service to the Milford area to cater for the demand. Hence our children were beginning to return to school on the Tuesday ( 3 days later) with no way to school.
Yes some were a little after the deadline paying for their ticket, happens regularly I have been told. But their applications were on the Bus Eireann system.
A local Bus Eireann staff member informed me that “early in the summer they informed Bus Eireann head quarters that there wasn’t sufficient seats for our area. Only to be told that they would have to make do with what they had”.
Now I informed the above person in a distraught state on Tuesday the 4th September that the bus driver in our area had a bigger bus that he could use, her reply was that “Bus Eireann were not willing to pay for a bigger bus”.
Now it has been 2 weeks since this has come to light. All the relevant authorities have been notified. Even the board of education have said adamantly that there will be no more buses or seats made available, as they won’t provide the money. This is the organization that provides funding for our so called free education, which we the parents have to pay administration fees/ voluntary contributions to, to allow these schools to function.
School Transport is a basic necessity for families living in rural Ireland. We do not have the luxury of an easily accessible public transport network. How are these children, some starting their 6th year in secondary education, expected to dedicate themselves to their studies when they don’t know how they are getting to and from school from one day to the next.
Are working parents expected to leave their jobs?
Are our children expected to walk up to 10 mile everyday to school?
Do our children leave their family home and go stay with relatives who can drop them to school?
Yes some of these families were on concessionary tickets. But this area has a tradition of sending their children to the Milford schools. We are a country area wanting to send our children to a country secondary school. Our children were educated in co-ed national schools. How dare you force us to send our children to a town secondary schools that only caters for single sex education. The transition from national to secondary school can be traumatic enough for children without forcing them into an alien environment.
What about children who have travelled on this service for years before this to these schools. Are they effectively being kicked off the bus ! Is the board education saying that mid secondary cycle, you either go to a different school or stay at home. Are you not supposed to provide for the best interests of our children’s education. This is your responsibility as a government.
“A symbol of this Governments commitment to listen to the people and to improve their lives and well-being”
This is quote by one of your Ministers on Facebook .
Well this situation is adversely effecting the families envolved. Can you not see the unnecessary stress, humiliation and anger you are causing these families.
“I am a parent that doesn’t drive. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to constantly begging and annoying people for lifts for my son to and from school. My child wasn’t on a concessionary ticket and had been on the bus for four years.”
“My daughter is in her 6th year at Loreto Milford,. I entered her medical card details on the system and it was accepted. My daughters medical card was due to expire and was in the process of applying for a new one. We thought no more of it until I checked my emails late the summer. This when I discovered that the application had been rejected. My daughter is now struggling to get Transport to and from school, stress she doesn’t need this year above all years”
“ I have 3 children, in 1st , 2nd and 5th year. They were not traveling on concessionary status. I am struggling to get them to and from school daily. It’s exhausting trying to juggle an early morning school run , head in the opposite direction to work arriving late at work and then having to ask to go home early to collect them. My employers patience are running thin , maybe I should quit before I am fired. I am lucky though that on occasion family can help out, not everyone has this option.”
“Maybe this Government needs to start at grass roots! Build a country from the ground up. Ensure the basics are in place first. Surely leaving school children stranded at the roadside is all wrong”
“Here we are again today..another week passed and still no school bus for our children going to school. I am firmly of the belief now that we are in a 3rd world country ..with 1st world taxation. What a disgrace for our current government..they are totally disconnected with the people..we haven’t got the most basic requirement of a school bus..Shame on our government.. don’t come near me looking for votes..”
“ My son with special needs is now entering the third week of living with my aunt in a different parish twenty minutes away, to only get home on Friday and have to leave again Sunday, I am a single parent and I don’t drive. My son has Aspergers and needs routine and his own home environmen. Due to no bus to school he knocked outta his routine and structure and I his mother sit here crying during the week because my son is in another house and parish. When he should be able to get to and from school like he has this past four years. Now in fifth year he been pushed from pillar to post and missing me and home. But he is very anxious to keep attending school as he loves it and is an excellent intelligent student. Now this whole stress could set his concentration back and affect his school work in longterm. “
Are you as a Gouvernent not infringing on our children’s constitutional rights by insisting they go to a certain school. Especially when there is a bus route already in place within their area.
Here are two paragraphs copied from the Fundamental rights under the Irish constitution
“Children have the right for their best interests to be of paramount consideration where the State seeks to intervene to protect their safety and welfare.”
“The State cannot oblige you to send your children to school or to any particular type of school but it may require that children receive a certain minimum education.”
All we are asking for is an extra bus or a couple of larger buses. What is the hold up? This should never have been an issue. Our children need this service and should not have to beg to be granted it. You are neglecting the most vulnerable in our society. We have asked all the right questions to who should be all the right people. But have disappointingly received minimall response. Who and what is Ireland at the moment if we cannot provide the basics for our children’s education. A Democratic and Progressive country my ass. This issue has left our community and surrounding community’s very disillusioned
These children and families need a school bus. Do them justice and provide it ASAP.
Yours sincerely
Termon and Kilmacreanan School Transport parents group
