Parents demand direct school service to avoid children crossing busy road
And Weekend Waterford, In Ardmore, Marched Criteria 'nearest Government's Protest Students Christy Parker A Parents In For The Second Picture: School' Over
Parents say their children's lives are being endangered as they are forced to cross a busy national road to circumvent the Government’s "nearest school" criteria for subsidised school transport.
Hundreds of parents and children marched in Ardmore, Waterford, to demand a direct school service to Dungarvan for the second weekend in succession.
About 50 post-primary students leave the area for school in Dungarvan daily, but the Government only subsidises the Bus Éireann service to the nearest school — Pobalscoil na Tríonóide in Youghal, Cork.
"I don’t know any children travelling to Youghal," mum of two and the protest co-organiser, Brenda Griffin, said.
“Dungarvan offers a choice of four schools, with less crowding, and children want to attend in their own county”.
Parents sending their children to Dungarvan are charged €40 weekly (approximately €1,400 annually) per child to avail of a privately run service, compared to just €75 annually to travel to Youghal under the department’s scheme.
Children who are brought 8.5km by car or TFI Local Link bus to a pickup carpark at Kiely’s Cross on the N25 enter a different catchment area and qualify for a subsidised bus to Dungarvan from there.
Kiely’s Cross is a five-road junction and many students must cross a busy road to board the bus, or wait in cars parked along the hard shoulder.
“It's dangerous enough now but, in winter, it will be lethal”, Ms Griffin added.
She spoke of “cars trying to turn right into the carpark and others trying to cross the N25”, as students congregated at the start of the new school term last week.
Ardmore parent Anto Howard describes it as “a week of chaos, confusion, and madness” at the cross, and labelled the department’s stance as “failing rural Ireland”.
"How is a family supposed to plan a life in a rural village if they can’t get their kids to school?" he asked.
According to a message from the offices of Independent TD Matt Shanahan, the department says it is “not in a position” to alter the present arrangement and that an inspector deems Kiely’s Cross “safe”.
Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane attended the weekend protest, as did Dáil candidate for West Waterford councillor Conor McGuinness and Fianna Fáil councillor Tom Cronin.
Mr McGuinness said that if Education Minister Norma Foley “implemented the recommendation of a school bus report commissioned by her own Government to abolish the ‘nearest school’ criteria prior to this school term, the problem would be immediately solved”.
Meanwhile, Mr Cronin says An Garda Síochána has agreed to a request from Waterford TD Mary Butler and himself to conduct a road safety audit at Kiely’s Cross.