Ireland: FF proposal to slash school buses is unfair, blinkered & daft - Feighan

The school transport scheme was set up in the 1960s to ensure access to primary and post-primary education for children who live in rural areas. It now costs the taxpayer €170 million annually to run the scheme. Dublin FF TD Chris Andrews argues that given that most families now have access to their own transport it is time to revise the scheme. He told the Evening Herald: "It is hard for me as someone in the city to see how it is fully justified. "It's very much a rural scheme and given the traffic in Dublin, if anything it's Dublin it should be in. "It's a huge expense and I would have thought that there were other things higher up on the priority list."

Frank Feighan TD FG Deputy Spokesperson on Transport & Education, with Special Responsibility for Rural and School Transport has blasted Andrews proposals. The following is the text of a statement released by Mr Feighan on the issue.

FF proposal to slash school buses is unfair, blinkered & daft - Feighan

"More than 135,000 children in far-flung rural areas use the State transport scheme to get to school. Many would not be able to get to school at all without school buses, and many schools would be forced to close.
"So I was astonished to hear Dublin Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews suggesting that the school transport scheme should be scaled back in rural areas, and instead be rolled out in his own city. Deputy Andrews's mindless proposal shows just how out of touch the Government has become.
"This proposal is shot full of holes:
- Most urban areas already have extensive public transport networks, while most rural areas do not;
- Scrapping school buses in rural areas would force more parents to drive their children to school, driving up pollution levels and adding to congestion.
"Furthermore, in the midst of the deepest recession in living memory, it would add considerably to household bills. Brian Lenihan has already pushed up the cost of school transport by over 200%. Fianna Fáil's proposal to abolish school transport in rural areas is unthinking, inconsiderate and beyond the pale."

Chris Andrews is out of touch with life in rural Ireland. His proposals are a cynical ploy geared to curry favour with his own urban constituents. Rural backbench TDs of all political parties would strongly oppose this nonsensical proposal. Arise rural Ireland from thy political slumber.

70% Hike in School Transport Charges in 4 Months

Today has seen another hike in school transport charges. Fine Gael School Transport Spokesman, Frank Feighan TD, said that today's announcement coupled with an increase just four months ago at Easter means that school transport charges have risen by 70% in four months. His statement goes on to say:

"Just last Easter, school transport charges increased from €33 to €46 per term for students in the junior cycle and from €51 to €71 per term for students in the senior cycle. Today's increase showed charges increasing further to €56 and €78 respectively. This represents massive increases of 53% and 70%.

"That school charges have been hiked by these huge amounts highlights just how little regard there is for the financial strain such a massive increase will put on families.
"Obviously, with increases in the cost of providing school transport - including fuel prices - and charges being held constant over a period of time, there may very well be a need to increase charges. However, 70% increases seem excessive and I would like to know how Minster Batt O'Keeffe can justify such a massive hike in just four months considering that rising prices will not account for such huge rises in such a short period of time."