Bus Éireann has told some parents that school transport will not be available in their area when schools reopen next week.
On Thursday Bus Éireann emailed parents whose children were affected, saying it had had trouble setting up some routes “despite extensive efforts”. It is understood services in a number of counties, including Wicklow and Kildare, are affected.
The Department of Education’s school transport scheme provides transport for children who live 3.2km or more from their local primary school or at least 4.8km from their nearest secondary school.
Bus Éireann operates the service on behalf of the department via a mix of its own fleet and private contractors.
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In its email to parents, the service said difficulties had arisen in some localities with a “small number of contracted services”.
“These difficulties have arisen in some cases due to lack of driver or contractor availability and where zero bids were received for a service, despite repeated efforts to procure one.”
The email said Bus Éireann was “working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible”.
“However, at this point, we do not have a transport solution for your service for the start of the school year.”
The bus service for children attending Blessington Educate Together in Co Wicklow is among those affected.
Deirdre McCormack, whose three children are due to attend the school next Thursday, said parents were “in shock”.
Ms McCormack, who is the chairwoman of the Social Democrats’ Wicklow branch, said the situation was “really disruptive” for parents, especially at a time when “they’re trying to get kids into a routine” at the start of the new term.
“Everyone knows when school goes back. You don’t even have to have kids to know when schools go back. It’s not a surprise. Why are they leaving it so last minute?”
Ms McCormack said many parents at her children’s school worked full-time and were scrambling to arrange alternative transport. Some parents would need to start work late, while others planned to carpool as a temporary solution.
Ms McCormack said she was fortunate that she worked remotely and her employer was flexible. However, her youngest daughter is due to start junior infants next week and will need to be picked up at an earlier time than her siblings, meaning she will have to make multiple trips to and from the school every day.
“Public transport isn’t an option; it’s a 40-minute walk on country roads,” she said.
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, said she was “shocked and angered” about the last-minute cancellations.
“This leaves parents in a difficult position. As children return to school on Monday, many parents will be left worrying if they will be able to arrange travel to and from their school.”
The Irish Times has contacted Bus Éireann and the Department of Education for comment.
In its email, Bus Éireann told parents the department would send them a payment called the Exceptional No Service Interim Grant to “help cover the cost of getting your child to school yourself”.
It said parents did not need to apply for the payment, as they would be contacted by staff from the Department of Education if eligible.
Bus Éireann apologised “for the inconvenience” and said parents would be “updated regularly by our team in relation to your transport”.
