STUDENTS from the Kilcoe area outside Skibbereen who attend Schull Community College have been left stranded with no seats on the school bus.
The 11 students were informed by Bus Éireann that because they are concessionary bus ticket holders there are no seats available for them for this coming school year.
Under the School Transport Scheme, ‘concessionary tickets’ are given to students if there are seats available on a bus when they wish to attend a school that isn’t the nearest to them.
But there was good news for parents and students in Bantry after a new school bus service began this week taking over 30 students from Bantry to Schull Community College.
They had campaigned for the service for the past year and had been forced to travel back and forth to Schull on a daily basis to bring their children to school.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Sean Kelly said his 16-year-old step daughter who lives in Kilcoe and is going into fifth year at Schull Community College, was informed that she wouldn’t be a receiving a bus ticket despite having done so for the past four years and having paid the €75 euro for the ticket upfront.
‘She isn’t the only one refused a bus ticket from here and it’s hugely frustrating for us all. My head has been spinning from being on the phone for the past week trying to get an answer on this. No one can give me an answer on this’ said Sean.
‘She has been attending schools in Schull since she was three years old and there never was a problem before about her getting a concessionary bus ticket. What they need is a bigger bus to cater for her and the 10 other students in the Kilcoe area.’
Meanwhile, a parent who has been campaigning with other parents over the past 12 months to get a school bus service from Bantry to Schull Community College has said it’s ‘like winning the Lotto’ for her and other parents after the service commenced this week.
Over 30 students attending Schull Community College were without a bus service until this week which meant that parents had been forced to drive them to and from Schull every day. That number has now increased to 37 students from Bantry going to Schull for this school term.
Helen O’Neill, who has two children attending Schull Community College, said the announcement of the bus service is huge not just for her but for all other parents.
‘Having this bus service will have a positive impact on my life, leading to less stress while also freeing up my mornings and afternoons,’ she said.
Junior Heritage Minister Christopher O’Sullivan welcomed the announcement and had bought Minister of State at the Department of Education Michael Moynihan to West Cork to showcase the urgent need for the service.
Independent Ireland leader TD Michael Collins said this service is a fantastic development for families in West Cork.
But he highlighted concerns about the ‘nearest school rule’ adding: ‘This rule is outdated and unfair. Every child who wants to avail of school transport should be able to do so. It’s time for a complete overhaul of this antiquated system.’
He also expressed concern for students who have relied on concessionary tickets for years, only then to be denied access in their ‘final and most critical school year.’
