We are now at the end of the school cycle and the commencement of the 2024-2025 school cycle begins in four months' time. Every year the school transport scheme is significantly oversubscribed. Year after year this is repeated, causing financial and social worries for parents. Some parents have had to give up their jobs to bring their children to school. This week we had a major protest in north Gorey, with 150 families and 190 children directly involved who are in desperate need of a school transport system for the three towns of Gorey, Enniscorthy and Wexford. Have the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Education a plan in place to increase the number of seats available and expand capacity in the school transport system to ensure as many children as possible across County Wexford can get a seat on their local school buses this coming school year?

I genuinely thank Deputy Mythen for raising this matter, which is one that many Deputies have been raising with the Minister, Deputy Foley. In fairness, she is currently undertaking a review of the school transport scheme, and I believe that is nearing completion. It is important to note that every single day 140,000 children are able to access school transport across the country, but obviously, with a growing population and a younger population, we are going to need more. The review is more than under way and is nearing completion. I would encourage parents whose children need school transport to make sure they have applied, although the deadline has passed at this stage. I will raise this matter directly with the Minister, Deputy Foley, on behalf of Deputy Mythen, as I have been doing on behalf of students in my own area in Dublin Fingal.