Pupils lose place on Galway school bus after ticket refused

Several parents are now saying that they may have to give up work or reduce their hours to get their children to school.

This development has caused particular surprise given that additional capacity was provided in Clarinbridge last year, following significant engagement by parents and local representatives in 2024; and also, because last year’s Programme for Government promised to “expand the School Transport Service” by expanding eligibility.

While this problem has surfaced annually across the country in recent years, it is particularly acute in Clarinbridge because Bus Éireann insists that in order to qualify for the school bus service, pupils must attend their nearest education centre, which is Calasanctius College in Oranmore.

But due to serious capacity issues at Calasanctius, most children from Clarinbridge do not qualify for a place there and have to go to schools in Athenry.

The children affected are in all years from First Year to Leaving Cert – and six per cent of them got bus tickets in previous years.

But now, in a survey carried out by the parents themselves, 77 per cent of them say that, if their children cannot get a bus ticket, they will be forced to drive their children to school every day.

And more critically, 18 per cent of parents say they simply do not know how they will get their children to school.

They also say that this will impact on study time and extracurricular activities which happen outside regular school hours - and an inability to engage fully with Transition Year.

Cathriona Forde is one of the parents who has a daughter returning to Presentation College in Athenry in five weeks’ time - and who now finds herself without access to school transport.

“The lack of a school bus this year will place a significant burden on our family," she said.

"It will create daily challenges with getting our child to and from school, affecting work schedules, increasing travel costs, and adding stress to our family’s routine.

"Without reliable school transport, it is much more difficult to ensure consistent attendance while balancing our other family and work commitments,” she said.

Fergal and Áine Dempsey have a son who is due to start secondary school in Athenry in September.

“Calasanctius in Oranmore didn’t have a place for our son, so we have no choice but to send him to Athenry, and Bus Eireann has refused him a ticket because of that," they said.

"There is no point in Government promising tax cuts to parents when another arm of the State is restricting our ability to work the hours our jobs require or in some cases to work at all.”

Kenny Walsh is a parent of two children due to return to school in Athenry - and neither of them has been offered a bus place.

"What makes this particularly frustrating is that we seem to be having the same battle every year," he said.

"oing back to school should be an exciting time for children and parents, but this uncertainty creates unnecessary stress and anxiety year after year.

"We are simply asking for a practical solution that allows our children to get to school and allows parents to go to work,” he added.

The parents are calling on Bus Éireann and the Department of Education to urgently provide sufficient capacity on the Athenry route for the 2026/27 school year and to put in place a longer-term solution for students who cannot access places in their nearest school.

They have requested a meeting with the Minister for Education and TD in Galway West, Hildegarde Naughton, as a first step towards resolving this issue as a matter of urgency.