Fianna Fáil TD for Wicklow, Stephen Donnelly has welcomed the response undertaken by St. Catherine’s Association in the wake of serious concerns raised by parents over planned changes to transport services which included the outsourcing of school transport services.
In response to a number of concerns that were raised with the Deputy directly regarding the welfare of St. Catherine’s students, the local TD facilitated a number of meetings with senior management, parents, drivers and escorts in order to ensure a smooth transition and maintain the quality of the service.
Deputy Donnelly commented, “When the parents, drivers and escorts first approached me, there was real concern and deep frustration about a wide range of issues relating to transport.
“On the back of a meeting with all those concerned, I raised the issue with both the management team and directly with the Minister. Following on from this, we held a very successful meeting with management, drivers and parents in my office in Wicklow.
“Having spoken to parents, the management and drivers in recent days, I am delighted that this appears to have led to a smooth transition and continuation of a high quality service. It is also very welcome to hear that many drivers and escorts are still in place under the new arrangements.
“I would like to thank the management, drivers, escorts and most importantly, the parents and pupils of St. Catherine’s for working with me to ensure that these school children have access to a high-quality service. I hope this makes a great start for the new school year,” he concluded.
