Anxious time for some Tipperary parents as children refused school bus tickets

Reforms planned for the School Bus Transport Scheme haven’t been rolled out soon enough to prevent some rural south Tipperary students being refused tickets for the start of the new academic year.

Public representatives around the county are being contacted by families who have received the bad news their child hasn’t secured a school bus ticket.

Newcastle Cllr Máirín McGrath said she and her father, Independent TD Mattie McGrath, are receiving calls from disappointed parents who have received letters of refusal for the School Transport Scheme from Bus Éireann in recent weeks.

Their constituency office is already dealing with 10 cases of secondary school student turned down for school bus tickets.

Cllr McGrath pointed out that in most of the cases, the students previously received bus tickets.

Such students are categorised as qualifying for “concessionary” tickets as they don’t meet all the criteria to be classified as “eligible”.

This means they only secure a ticket when there are places still available on their school bus after all tickets are allocated to “eligible” students.

An increase in new eligible students on a bus route or reduction in bus size can lead to a “concessionary” category student losing their ticket.

The Newcastle/ Ardfinnan/Cahir route and school bus service to Cahir that serves the Knockagh area near Cahir are the two routes where the most issues have arisen.

With the former route, students were refused bus tickets because they were deemed to livr slightly closer to Clonmel schools than Cahir’s Coláiste Dún Iascaigh.

Cllr McGrath explained students living in the Knockagh area have been refused tickets because Bus Éireann ruled they were living too close to Coláiste Dún Iascaigh.

She and her father Deputy McGrath criticised the Government for not introducing reforms proposed in a review of the School Transport Scheme quickly enough to save these students and their families the stress of losing their school bus tickets.

“The current government came into situ in 2020 and the inability to address this issue is a clear failing by them,” said Cllr McGrath.

“This problem arises every single year like clockwork and little has changed, only different families have been affected by the bus ticket lottery system.”

She pointed out the review began in 2021 and the findings, along with recommended changes were published in January this year.

“It is a simple fix; a greater allocation of buses is required, removing the ‘nearest school’ requirement to allow greater choice for families in accessing second level education and reduce the minimum distance required for pupils to qualify for the school transport scheme.

“These are the two greatest barriers for local students in successfully getting a bus ticket. However some of the recommended changes are only being piloted in September, and then introduced gradually from September 2025.

Cllr McGrath said the annual uncertainty about availability of a bus ticket is a source of great frustration for students and their parents.

“Often there might be 100m or 200m in the difference between schools and as a result of choosing the school that is slightly further away, the application is deemed concessionary and the student is unlikely to get a ticket,” she explained.

“Swift action is required to fast-track the recommended changes and both Deputy McGrath and I have contacted Minister Norma Foley pleading for this to happen.

“Why should parents and students have to wait until September 2025 and beyond for a solution to a problem that has been going on for years, especially when the problem and solution have clearly been identified,” she added.

Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education, responded that  under the scheme’s current terms, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school, and reside not less than 4.8km from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

“All eligible pupils who apply and pay on time will be accommodated on services.

“Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. This is referred to as concessionary transport.”

Bus Éireann noted the availability of concessionary transport may vary from year to year and is not guaranteed for the duration of a child’s education.

It added that, since the payment deadline of June 7, Bus Éireann’s school transport office in Waterford is reviewing all applications for the coming school year and tickets are being issued in line with the guidelines of the scheme.