Sir, – I refer to the letter by Niamh Shine (Letters, September 2nd) on the lack of school bus places for disabled children in special education schools.
A total of 30 per cent of children in our children’s school (Sandymount School, Enable Ireland, in Dublin) are currently without school bus places for the school year which began last week. Bus Éireann claims that 1 per cent of children are without school bus places this year. The shortage of school bus places is a national issue and is not exclusively confined to special education schools. However, as our statistic shows, special education schools are disproportionately affected due to the fact that only three to four children can travel to school on a wheelchair-converted bus and due the fact that they require a bus escort for their care and to administer emergency medications if required.
The hardship, stress and inconvenience to the parents and guardians and the disruption to their children’s routine, school life and learning are immense. The children in this school are those with very complex physical and intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, the complexity of their underlying medical conditions compounds the level of full-time care that many need. A significant proportion of the parents work and wish to continue to work to support their families and contribute to society economically. The current rate offered to school bus transport services by Bus Éireann is up to 70 per cent lower per kilometre than the rate paid per kilometre to private taxi companies.
The long summer recess of the Dáil until September 20th means that this issue is not being given the immediate political attention that it deserves.
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We can only hope and pray that when the Ministers do return to work that their drivers will not give them three working days’ notice that they will be unavailable and that it will also be open ended as to when a replacement driver will be found. But fear not, Ministers, you too can lobby Government departments, the relevant ombudsman, and the media in what little spare time you too may have, to get coverage on Newstalk and Joe Duffy’s Liveline in a desperate bid to ensure that you too can get to work on time daily to make your collective contributions to society.
We urge the Minister for Education to engage with our group of parents and guardians. – Yours, etc,
CATHERINE ROSSITER,
Children’s Disability
Advocate,
Chairperson of Sandymount School Parents Association,
Enable Ireland,
Dublin 4.