ALL that 25 children attending Foynes National School and their parents want for Christmas is a school bus.
One full term into the new school year and they are still waiting for a transport solution, along with a number of pupils at Pallaskenry Secondary School.
The parents held a meeting on Tuesday night (December 12) to which all local politicians were invited.
Sarah McInerney told the Limerick Post that parents are bending over backwards trying to make arrangements for their children to get to and from school.
“I’m a teacher in Limerick so I have no flexibility. My husband works in Kerry and he has to split his working day to bring our children home and then go back to Kerry to finish his work,” the mother of four said.
“There are parents relying on grandparents and relatives, that can’t continue indefinitely. We were told we would be getting a bus at the start of the school term, but more than three months have passed and the children still have no transport”.
The parents are doubly annoyed because Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited the school when he came to Limerick to open the new section of the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum.
“He asked the children if they wanted to ask any questions and my son, Isacc, asked him when would they get a school bus. He replied that he would go back to Minister Norma Foley and get it sorted. That hasn’t happened.”
Parents outlined their issues at the meeting on Tuesday, which was attended by local representatives Bridie Collins and and Stephen Keary, as well as a representative for Niall Collins TD.
After the meeting it was decided that local politicians would make representation on behalf parents and a Bus Éireann representative will meet with two parent representatives in the coming week.
Local councillors agreed to explore other options to provide a service.
The parents also want questions put to the Department of Transport concerning the lack of available drivers, including why those over 70 are not allowed to drive school bus routes while they can drive for school tours, school trips, and weekly runs to activities.
The parents themselves are looking into getting supports or funding if they can secure their own private bus service.
A parliamentary question has been raised by local representatives, and Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae has also raised the issue in the Dáil.
