I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss the very important issue of the bus route between Trim and Kilmessan. I will give the Minister of State a small snapshot of the texts I receive as a parent. One message read, "Slight delay this morning due to breakdown private bus on the way". Another read, "Private bus tomorrow thanks". Another text read, "Hi all private bus again tomorrow". Another read, "Hi bus running a little late due to breakdown". On the same day, I got a text saying "I found a bus so see you all tomorrow morning". Another read, "Bus is broken down so delay waiting on private bus to come will be very late". Another message read, "Bus broken down please bring your child to school as we've no spare bus this morning". Another two texts read, "private bus today all". Another read, "Bus has a breakdown issue if you can pick your child up at school please do". Another message read, "sorry for the late message I've broken down no bus this afternoon". Another read, "I'm very sorry my bus is broken down again this morning". Another text read, "I have broken down bus private bus cover today". Another read, "bus has broken down I may not get back on the road for primary school children". Another message read, "no bus please bring your child to school". A day later, we got a text saying, "private bus will cover the rest of the week". A further text read, "bus has broken down I will have a bus for the afternoon". Another read, "Massive thank you for all the parents help this morning you're all super helpful it's much appreciated". A few days later, we get a text saying, "private bus will cover the school bus run tomorrow" because the bus was broken down. Another message read, "no bus this morning due to dangerous road conditions private bus". It continues and continues. Another read, "no bus this morning it has broken down please take your child to school". Later that day we got a text saying, "I have a bus for the afternoon see you all later". Then again a text reading "I've broken down ....private bus on the way to collect the children". It continues.

How is it possible that this is allowed to happen in this day and age? This is just one route. I know about it because it is a route that my children use. How is Linda, our lovely bus driver, expected to drive a bus that continually breaks down and is 20 years old? How is she expected to get up every morning and do her job? I am very lucky that my kids have the opportunity to get a school bus, but more often than not the bus is broken. It causes stress to parents, to schoolchildren and to Linda, the poor bus driver.

Linda makes sure that every child gets on and off the bus and that schoolbags are not forgotten. She ensures children have their football and camogie gear. She is like an extra parent in the mornings and afternoons. I give this recognition to Linda because she deserves it. She is on the Trim-Kilmessan route in County Meath. What Linda deserves is a decent bus. I recorded my daughter, who is ten years of age, describing her journey home from school last June. She said the engine was overheating a lot because of the warm day and the bus kept having to stop. She said Linda, the bus driver, had to get out of the bus to look at the engine and when she came back in, the door was jammed and she could not close it. She had to get all of the children to move to the back of the bus and she drove really slowly the rest of the way home with the door open as it was dangerous. This is like the "Fawlty Towers" of bus routes. I appreciate that the Department is under budgetary constraints, but it is simply not good enough for our kids. I urge the Minister of State to ensure schoolchildren get better quality buses, in particular on the Trim-Kilmessan bus route.

I am taking this on behalf of the Minister. I thank the Senator for raising the matter, which is very serious. I am a parent myself.

As the Senator knows, the school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Bus Éireann manages the procurement and tender process and contract management arrangements to include service providers by the contractors under the scheme. The school transport fleet is made up of contractors and Bus Éireann vehicles. Over 90% of the services are provided by contractors operating on school transport schemes. Over €69 million in additional funding has been allocated to school transport services in 2026. This is to provide for additional demand from pupils with special educational needs on school transport services and increased bus contract running costs. The Department is very much aware of this issue. It will also provide for additional funding for the school transport scheme fleet in order to implement improved technologies, such as e-ticketing on school transport services.

Bus Éireann has advised that to date during the 2025-26 school year, there have been three incidents where there were operational issues with the vehicle on the route in question. However, on each occasion a replacement vehicle was provided. In addition, on the days where the driver was not able to operate the service, cover was sourced in order to ensure there was no more disruption for pupils availing of the service.

The Senator has said there seem to have been many more incidents. When I was reading the brief for this debate today, I noted the Department of Transport has indicated that the wider public transport sector has faced a number of challenges with regard to the recruitment of drivers, mechanics and craft workers in the past 12 to 18 months. Unfortunately, these challenges have an impact on service delivery and speed. I understand the difficulty. I assure the Senator I will go back to the Minister on this. As I said, she has said this has happened more frequently. I will highlight this because every child is important. As a parent I know texts are sent late at night. Everyone wants to make sure their child has a lift to school.

There have been far more than three incidents between 2025 and 2026. I would be happy to work with the bus driver and produce a proper list for the Department so it can see how bad the situation is. I know there is a rule whereby buses should not be older than 20 years, but they do not need to be that old. We speak about it being hard to recruit bus drivers. We have a precious one called Linda who drives this route, and also gets out of the bus to check the engine. We will not get people like that if we do not give them a good bus. We need newer buses and more mechanics, as the Minister of State acknowledged. I have first-hand experience of this and realise things need to be changed.

I specifically ask that the bus route be given one of the new school buses. I also ask for serious investment in school buses. Children are our precious cargo and our future and we are putting them into piles of junk to get to school. I am sorry; I do not normally use language like that but that is all our school bus is. I never advocate for increasing the cost of anything. A bus ticket costs about €50, which is unbelievable value. However, it is not unbelievable value if the bus keeps breaking down. Where people can afford it, should we try to increase the cost of the ticket, but not by a lot? Would that help to ensure there are more buses on bus routes around the country? As I said, it is very good value. I trust that the Minister of State will bring this matter back to the Minister.

Can I be assured that this specific route will be considered favourably for a new bus for the children and for Linda, the bus driver?

I do understand. This is a really important issue. In the current school year, over 181,000 children are transported daily to primary, post-primary and special schools throughout the country. Included in those figures are over 25,000 children travelling on the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs. This includes over 7,800 tickets in County Meath.

The Department recognises that the school transport scheme is vital to families in certain areas to support them in bringing their children to school. The safety, care and protection of school children travelling on school transport services is equally of paramount importance to the Department of Education and Youth and Bus Éireann.

I compliment Linda, the bus driver the Senator mentioned. It is great to see a woman bus driver there and, as the Senator said, she is so dedicated and committed to it. I wish her well.

I will definitely go back to the Minister with this. I thank the Senator.