Parents protest against bus fees [Independent.ie]
- Published: 07 June 2011
THE parents and children of Scoil Mhuire NS in Horeswood staged a protest on Friday ahead of changes to the school bus transport scheme, which will see many families currently availing of free transport forced to pay €200 per child on the school bus from September.
The pupils at the school led the protest, which saw a large number of the school community walk from Horeswood Church to Scoil Mhuire on Friday morning.
Deputy Liam Twomey met them at the school, where he was handed a petition containing the signatures of hundreds from the locality who are opposed to the changes in the school bus transport scheme.
John Stafford, Chairperson of the newly formed Horeswood Action Group Against School Bus Changes, said they are also sending a petition to CIE, while Dr Twomey is also to arrange a meeting for the Scoil Mhuire committee and Ciarán Cannon, the Minister of State for Training and Skills.
As part of a value for money review of the School Transport Scheme, the Department of Education is making changes to school transport provision under the Central/Closed School Rule (CSR), where a primary school closed and amalgamated with another. Horeswood NS amalgamated with Aclare, Killesk and Ballykelly in the late ' 70s and since then pupils residing in the closed school areas have been eligible for free transport to the school even though they may reside less than two miles from the school.
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