has vowed to continue to fight for an extra €4 million for the school bus scheme to continue to include concessionary children.
Some parents had reportedly begun looking into private contractors for transport and a car-pool system. “That started at 300 – that’s up now to 30,000 concessionary children - that is where we have a problem, the scheme was put in place for eligible and special needs children.”Mr Halligan, who was speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today with Miriam O’Callaghan, added that in 2018 the cost of providing school transport amounted to €206 million with “a very small proportion” paid by parents, and the rest by the department.
“What I’m saying now is we do require about €4.2 million which would take all concessionaries off the scheme. I am looking for it. My view is that we should get it. If I had my way all children, eligible or otherwise, should get school transport.