Push for free school transportation for all children could be curbed

by Gráinne Connolly

A proposal to extend free school buses to all school children in the Fermanagh and Omagh district could be curbed due to budget cuts and the current collapse of the Assembly at Stormont. 

The call was made back at the council meeting in April. 

Councillors decided that free transportation should be provided for all school children, not just those who live beyond a 2 mile radius. 

It would ease congestion in towns, especially the likes of Enniskillen and Omagh; and it would also be safer for children living in rural areas. 

It's often dangerous for children who would have to walk on rural roads as a result of the current policy. 

Councillor's came to the decision back in April that they would write to the Department of Education (DE), to request a meeting with board members in order to discuss the proposals. 

At this months meeting, chief executive Brendan Hegarty informed the councillors that the DE had responded to their request and agreed to an informal meeting.

However, he highlighted that it wasn't the meeting they had asked for as it would with officials or representatives, rather than board members. 

Councillors rejected the idea and stated that they were not content with the response, calling for a meeting with board members again. 

Councillor Robert Irvine, one of the Councillors to put forward the proposition said that officials wouldn't be able to help them: 

 

Councillors Sorcha McAnespy and Errol Thompson both agreed with Councillor Irvine and said "it was quite clear what we asked for". 

However, in the written response from the DE Permanent Secretary Derek Barker, he indicated that it was more than likely that the current policy would not change due to the situation at Stormont:

"Any proposal to revise current policy would be decision for an incoming Education Minister.

"Furthermore, any proposal that involved increasing the cost of the current policy, against the background of the indicative budget of education announced

by the Secretary of State and rising cost pressures elsewhere in education, is unlikely to be feasible unless accompanied by proposals about where

additional resources can be found or commensurate reductions made in the costs of existing services."