Victory for Waterford school bus, but the journey continues for students still without school transport

As a school bus to Dungarvan arrives in Ardmore for the first time in 20 years, the Ardmore School Bus Campaign Group celebrates a hard fought and historic victory.

The campaign welcomed the decision by Bus Eireann last week to move the school bus pick up from Kiely’s Cross to safer locations, including Ardmore.

However, serious concerns remain regarding over 40 students in the village who are still without a seat on the bus.

For the past six weeks the community of Ardmore has advocated for all their children who attend secondary school in Dungarvan to have safe and funded school transport.

Local people contacted local councillors, TDs, senators and ministers, as well as the Department of Education. The campaign had three distinct issues; the unsafe pick-up location at Kiely's Cross, children being left behind who are having to pay €40 per week to go to school and the over-arching issue of rural development and support for this rural community.

Speaking on the recent result, campaigner Brenda Griffin said: "This is the first time a School Transport Scheme school bus for Dungarvan has come into the village in over 20 years.

“We are so glad that children can meet the bus at a safe pick-up point and it is brilliant that the work of this small community paid off for its children.

“But there are still over 40 children without access to the school transport scheme, my own included. I pay €80 per week for my two children to go to school by private bus, which is close to €2,800 per year, while my neighbour can send her children for around €125 in total per year.” 

Brenda’s neighbour Petrina Hennessey said that while the community welcomes the move by Bus Eireann to facilitate a safer pick-up point, the people of Ardmore are united in their belief that no child must be left behind: “I am very conscious that the situation for our children is precarious until the Department of Education commits to treating all the secondary students of our village equally.

“My child has a place this year but what about next year? We need school transport from Ardmore to Dungarvan so all our children can access education in their own county.” 

The solidarity in Ardmore has been evident throughout this campaign, hundreds of residents of the village came out in support of their neighbours.

The first protest took place on August 24. The second, on August 30, doubled in size to over 200 people, approximately 45% of the population of the village population.

Campaigners welcomed the ongoing engagement with local political representatives, many of whom came to Ardmore to understand the situation firsthand. 

Campaigner Anto Howard on hearing the news that safer pick-up points had been designated, said it was a great day for safety, common sense and people power.

“Our neighbours and friends came out in solidarity to march and protest and contact their local politicians and we have achieved a great improvement in the safety of the pick-up points.

“We are delighted that Bus Eireann have acted so positively and promptly and we look forward to engaging with them going forward to ensure a school bus place for all our children. It is time for a seat for every child."

Anto’s son Tom Howard, a first-year student at St. Augustine’s College Dungarvan said: "It’s great that a lot of my friends now have a public bus taking them to school, but it’s not right that I don’t have a seat, along with many other kids in Ardmore and Grange.”