Mayo councillor says parents neglected by absence of school transport

THE case of a family who have been refused a place on a school bus has been branded as an example of ‘neglect of rural areas’.

West Mayo-based county councillor John O’Malley has said he has been ‘inundated with calls’ since highlighting the case of a family in Sraheen who were deemed ineligible for a school bus pass – despite a bus with spare capacity passing near their home on a daily basis.

Fiona Gordon told The Mayo News that her children have been deemed ineligible for the school transport scheme, as they do not attend their nearest school in Killawalla, which is eight kilometres away. Both children have been attending Knockrooskey NS, which is just two kilometres further away.

At present, primary school children who live more than 3.2 kms from their nearest national school as determined by the Department of Education/Bus Éireann are eligible for the Primary School Transport Scheme.

A review of the scheme has recommended changes to the scheme, which include removing the ‘nearest school’ requirement ‘if there are existing bus routes or if there is enough demand for a new route (at least ten pupils)’.

In February, 13.3 percent of children in primary school and 32.5 percent of secondary school children in Mayo availed of the scheme.

‘Forgotten about’

Ms Gordon said she is willing to bring her children to the bus stop. She pointed out that it passes by the end of their road with space on board before picking up at least one passenger in Aughagower and then proceeding to Knockrooskey NS.

Ms Gordon added that there is ‘not a hope’ she would consider moving her children to Killawalla NS to avail of the free school transport scheme. She will continue to transport her children to and from school by car for the coming academic year, as there is no private school bus service available.

“I’m sure we’re not the only ones [affected],” she said. “All these rural areas are all forgotten about. Even our bins, they are not picked up at the house, we have to bring them to another townland, which is about a mile over the road.”

Cllr John O’Malley said he had been receiving a large number of calls from parents with difficulty accessing school transport since he highlighted Ms Gordon’s case on Midwest Radio last week.

The Independent councillor told The Mayo News that he knows of some families who are paying €1,000 to private school-transport providers.

Cllr O’Malley said he had heard cases of families in West Mayo who have been refused school-bus tickets despite having had them in previous years

“I am inundated with calls from that whole area [Sraheen] and from other areas who say they are in the same boat, that they [buses] won’t pick them up,” he said.

“It’s another neglect of rural areas, a lack of services for them. I was only on last week about the bin service, and I’m trying to organise a bin collection for them in the same area… them people out in rural areas have nothing.”

Pontoon predicament

In Pontoon, concern was expressed after a 12-year-old secondary school student was given a school bus pickup point five kilometres away from her home.

The stop is located past Pontoon Bridge Hotel at a fork in the road – even though the nearest public transport bus stop from their home is Healy’s Hotel, a mere 20 minute walk from the child’s home. Her school bus picked her up and dropped her off at her home as recently as June.

Susan Killeen, the child’s mother, said would have to walk up between four and five hours a day to get to and from her house for drop-off and collection.

Susan’s sister, Nuala, a Kildare-based county councillor, said it was ‘unreasonable to expect a 12-year-old child to have to walk on an unlit rural road where speeding is common [and] where there are no footpaths and many blind corners’.

However, following an appeal to the school bus service and representations to TDs Michael Ring and Alan Dillon, the pick-up point has been moved to Healy’s Hotel.

Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday, Ms Killeen welcomed the change but said it was a ‘shame’ that she had to share her story publicly in order for the pick-up point to be changed.

“Going into the winter months it’s still a dark, kind of dangerous road to come down, but compared to the possible four-hour trek up and down to Pontoon Bridge Hotel, it’s certainly an improvement.” She said that Minister Alan Dillon is continuing to explore the possibility of the child being picked up and dropped of at her home.