Sinn Féin TD for Waterford, Conor D. McGuinness, has criticised the Minister for Education for ignoring the clear need for additional school bus capacity between Ardmore and Dungarvan. Responding to a parliamentary question from Deputy McGuinness, Minister Helen McEntee failed to even mention Ardmore or engage with the facts on the ground.
“The Minister’s reply is a generic copy and paste response that completely ignores the question asked,” Deputy McGuinness said. “She doesn’t mention Ardmore once — despite being asked directly about it. That’s not acceptable to the families affected.”
There is currently one public school bus serving the Ardmore to Dungarvan route. However, a second, private service is also operating — paid for directly by parents — due to a lack of capacity on the public route.
“Parents are paying significantly more for a private bus because the public service doesn’t have enough seats. It’s a simple fact: if we need a private bus to meet demand, then we clearly need a second public school bus. That would ease pressure on families and ensure children get a seat at a fair cost.”
Deputy McGuinness also acknowledged recent progress, noting that following a local campaign last year, a public bus service was finally secured for Ardmore.
“I was proud to support local parents who campaigned to get Ardmore included on the public route last year — and that was a welcome step. But it hasn’t solved the problem. Now we need to build on that progress and expand capacity further.”
He concluded by calling on the Minister and Bus Éireann to engage with local families and commit to a second public bus service between Ardmore and Dungarvan for the upcoming school year.
Conor D. McGuinness TD 