Tánaiste Simon Harris has said he agrees with a Laois TD regarding the current ban on over-70 school bus drivers.
Independent Republican TD Brian Stanley raised the matter at the beginning of February and again this week in the Dáil.
“The programme for Government commits to a review of the school transport scheme,” Deputy Stanley said.
“The biggest obstacle within that scheme at the moment is the ban on drivers over 70.
“We have the ludicrous situation where such drivers cannot drive a minibus bringing ten pupils to school under the school transport scheme but later in the day they can drive a 72-seater bus full of children to the local swimming pool or on a bus tour to Dublin, Cork or Killarney. This is a crazy situation.
“Many of these drivers depend on this part-time work to supplement their pension income and operators are at their wits’ end trying to recruit drivers.”
In response, the Tánaiste said: “I must say I agree with the Deputy.
“This is a bizarre situation where somebody over the age of 70 can drive kids in a private bus to a soccer or GAA game at the weekend but cannot drive them to school in a Bus Eireann bus.
“It is either safe or it is not safe and the inconsistency in relation to this is quite farcical and annoying at a time when we are trying to get more drivers.”
The Tánaiste qualified that statement, however, by saying this is “a matter for Bus Eireann.”
Deputy Harris also said that the new Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD, “intends to pursue” the issue.
“There are people who are perfectly healthy and fit and well able to drive buses and the idea that they can drive any bus other than a Bus Eireann bus does not cut the mustard with me,” the Tánaiste said.
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