Direct discussions are being held between Donegal Minister Joe McHugh and Junior Education Minister John Halligan in a bid to secure a resolution to the school bus transport issue in Donegal.
More than two dozen children in North Donegal have been denied a seat on their local school buses this term due to a shortage of seats on the transport scheme.
Mr McHugh, Government Chief Whip, said ‘serious effort’ is being put into discussions on the issues.
Minister McHugh said: “I met Minister Halligan privately yesterday morning in his office in Government Buildings in advance of other Donegal representatives sitting down with him and this morning myself and Minister Halligan had a follow-up meeting.
“I have been repeatedly making clear the case for the Minster and his officials to consider the needs of these eligible children in the Kilmacrennan and Termon and surrounding areas.
“From the first day that this campaign began and from the day that I was approached by a number of concerned parents I’ve been focusing on working towards a resolution of the unfairness in the system for the significant number of children affected and the impact that it is having on their parents and relatives.
“I will remain in direct contact with Minister Halligan in Government Buildings and I have been assured that he is actively considering this case.”
“I want to thank Education Minister Richard Bruton for his focus on the issue when I raised it with him at the Fine Gael think-in in Galway.”
Mr McHugh, Minister for the Irish language, Gaeltacht and the Islands, said: “I’d also like to thank my Oireachtas colleagues from Donegal for meeting with Minister Halligan yesterday, as the more pressure we can continue to place on this issue the better.”
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