My question concerns the inadequate school transport services this year and every year for rural families. We see countless families who have paid on time for the tickets they applied for, only to be told there is no place on the bus. Some children, having used a bus for a number of years, were advised this summer that there is no room for holders of concessionary tickets. Parents tell me they see school buses passing down their road with empty seats. Will funding be approved in the budget to allow for the upgrading of buses, including, for example, from a 20-odd-seater to accommodate a greater number? There are options to tackle this problem. I am making the case for more funding for school transport to allow children to travel to school without this major headache for parents next year.

I know people in some rural communities, where there is a certain level of demand, do not have a ticket or have had issues with the organisation or operation of this service. It is important to stand back and look at overall Government investment in the service. As I have said previously in the House, it has increased exponentially. The funding of the school transport system must be sustainable and must fit within our broader medium-term plan for growth and expenditure in the economy. The funding has gone from €219 million in 2019 to more than €600 million this year. The future profile of that funding must be sustainable and must fit within our broader plans. We want to support improved capacity. We have seen the level of demand increase from 120,000 children in 2019 to 180,000 in 2026. That represents such positive use of the service but, obviously, it has presented some capacity constraints. We will work with the Minister for education to ensure we continue to improve the service in the months ahead.