Time for overhaul of failing school transport system, says Labour

Labour’s Education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has called for an urgent overhaul of Ireland’s school transport system following a surge in complaints from parents who cannot secure bus places for their children.

The Cork TD said the Minister for Education must act without delay to fix a scheme that is leaving working families stranded.

Kenny said, “so many parents are now contacting my office with serious concerns about school transport. Families are being told there is no space available on buses. Others are being refused places because the Department claims their child’s school is not the ‘feeder school’ based on distance – when in fact it is.”

“This is a system that simply isn’t working. School transport is supposed to remove barriers to education, yet right now it is creating them. Parents are scrambling to arrange lifts, relying on neighbours, or driving long distances themselves because the service has failed them.”

The Labour TD said, “the reality is that working families are the ones suffering most. I have spoken to parents who have had to cut back their hours, and in some cases leave their jobs entirely, just to get their children to and from school. This is unacceptable in 2025.”

“We need a complete overhaul of the school transport system – not minor tweaks or sticking-plaster fixes. The current criteria, capacity limits and appeals process are outdated and unfit for purpose. The demand for places has outgrown the system, and families are paying the price.”

“Labour has been clear: every child should have access to a safe, reliable, and affordable school transport option. This means expanding capacity on popular routes, ensuring the feeder school policy reflects reality on the ground, and putting in place a fair and transparent allocation process.

“I am calling on the Minister for Education to convene an immediate review of the school transport system with a view to delivering a full overhaul. Government cannot continue to ignore the growing frustration of families who are being let down year after year,” he said.