Uncertainty remains as bus service serving two Cork schools 'temporarily suspended'

Parents of schoolchildren attending Rathduff National School and Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Blarney, who were given 12 hours’ notice that their school bus service was being suspended, remain uncertain as to when the service will be restored.

Parents of children on the C930 Blarney and Grenagh bus route received an email after 8.30pm on Thursday evening from Bus Éireann School Transport informing them that: “Due to operational issues beyond our control, the service to which your child(ren) are allocated to [sic] C390, will not operate tomorrow, Friday 8 September 2023.

“The route will not operate until further notice,” the email said.

Asked for a comment, a spokesperson for Bus Éireann said the service had been “temporarily suspended at short notice due to an operational issue.

“Despite significant efforts made by Bus Éireann's local school transport office in liaising with contractors in the area, there is currently no available resource to operate this service,” they said, apologising to all affected.

“We want to reassure parents that the local office in Cork is doing everything possible to try and secure a replacement resource in order to allow the service to recommence as soon as possible.

“Bus Éireann’s local school transport office will provide an update to the families impacted as soon as a suitable resource is available,” the spokesperson said.

Clarity needed

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould called for clarity on the timeline for resumption of the C930 route which services Rathduff National School.

“The reality is that many people cannot drop their children to school – they may have no car, work in another direction or have multiple children travelling to different schools.

“This is a huge issue for these parents and people need to know if this is an issue that will last a few days or a few months,” Mr Gould said.

The northside TD said he had contacted Bus Éireann and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan requesting a timeline for the restoration of the service, or, in the case of longer suspension, the allocation of another vehicle to service the route.

Independent Cork city councillor Kenneth O’Flynn, who represents the Cork north-east ward, said the suspension of the C930 service would cause a serious interruption to the education of the children affected.

“It is essential that Bus Éireann takes immediate and decisive action to address and resolve this problem promptly,” Mr O’Flynn said.

“Mere apologies are inadequate; what is needed is swift action and the establishment of a replacement service within the next few days.”