I also express my condolences to the British people, the ambassador, H.E. Paul Johnston and everyone who is grieving the Queen’s loss.

I ask that we have a debate on school transport and the challenges we have had in respect of children who have not been able to get school buses over the past number of weeks. I have been inundated in County Tipperary with calls from parents whose children have been getting the bus for a number of years and, because of an increased demand, have not been able to get on it this year. In particular, I refer to the bus route between Drangan and Ballingarry. My colleague, Councillor Mark Fitzgerald, is dealing with an awful lot of parents there who have still have not gotten any answers. We keep going back to tell them that we think a decision will be made sometime soon.

It is infuriating for them. I know of one person who only needs a seat on a school bus for the journey home on Wednesday afternoons. On nine of the journeys a week that seat is free. It is incredibly frustrating for people who genuinely need the bus twice a day five days a week. Certainly the view out there is that this has happened because of the decisions the Government made. I am not sure this is entirely true but we need to make sure the issues facing people who are genuinely struggling and have had to make changes to their work or employment over recent weeks, which they did not expect to have to do, can be sorted as quickly as possible. On the route I am speaking about, Drangan and Ballingarry, the issue is a very simple one. Kavanagh's bus company has a bus ready to go to bring all of the children. All we need is for it to be signed off by the Minister.

I second Senator Ahearn's proposal. The issues we faced over the summer, in August in particular, had to do with school transport. This has been highlighted. The Government made a commitment to provide free transport for the year. We have neglected to provide transport for some and this is not acceptable. From our children at home I am aware of two routes to Moyne Community School and the secondary schools in Ballymahon. I know of one family where the father drives to Dublin at 6.30 a.m. and the mother drops their children and those of other people from 7 a.m. because they do not have transport. I know of another family with three children who have no transport to school. We need a debate on this. We need to sort out the situation for families. It is unacceptable that this has happened.

I cannot understand why this issue arises every year. Applications are made in April but payments are not made until the end of July. Why can this not all be sorted out over the summer? The same issue arises every year with problems at the start of the school year. It is not acceptable and somebody has to answer for it.

I met a large group of parents from Cystic Fibrosis Ireland outside Leinster House, including someone I know very well. Jillian McNulty is well known to Senators. She led the campaign for the drug Orkambi. I was delighted to see her there. I was not expecting to see her because she received a kidney transplant only three weeks ago. She is doing well and in great form. I was delighted to meet her outside. She was campaigning for 35 children from throughout Ireland who are not able to receive a life-saving drug called Kaftrio. This is not acceptable. Some of the children were there today, as were the parents of other children. The HSE cannot come to an agreement with the drug company to fund this treatment. The treatment exists and it is accessible. Other children receive it but these 35 children do not. This is not acceptable and I want to highlight it to the Minister for Health.