Carlow/Kilkenny TD calls for change in school bus driver rule to address shortage

Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow/Kilkenny, Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere has called for the removal of the cutoff age for drivers over 70 for school buses.

In the last school year over 173,000 children were transported daily in approximately 8,200 vehicles across 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

The retirement age for school bus drivers has been set by Bus Éireann at 70 years of age amidst demand for more drivers.

However those over 70 can drive the same children to school activities through driving for private operators, something Deputy Cleere says is inconsistent.

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“You have a situation here where you can’t have a 70 year old man or woman drive school children to school in the morning but can pick them up for school activities a few hours later to drive them miles down the road. It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’ve been inundated with correspondence from local bus contractors who have drivers ready to go and meet the demand, but they are prevented because of the cutoff by Bus Éireann.

Concluding, he said some of the people who drive these buses enjoy it greatly and the interaction the job entails.

“The sad reality of this situation is that many of these bus drivers over 70 look forward to driving the children to and from school every day.”

“For some, it is a great social activity for them, engaging with students and teachers alike. We must do everything we can to review this issue as a matter of urgency.”

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