"I'll Have To Change My Work Hours":Ardclough Mother Concerned As Daughters Lose Place On School Bus

Thursday, 20 August 2026 12:18

By Daniel Maher

Her two daughters had a place on the bus for the last two years

A mother of two secondary school students from Ardclough has raised concerns about the shortage of school transport for her kids.

Elaine Barry's children both attend St Wolstan's Community School in Celbridge, and had a place on the bus for the last two years.

The Barry family live 11km from the school, while the guidelines says that you must be 4.8km from the nearest school to avail of such bus services.

Her daughters had previously had concessionary tickets, but now have lost their place.

Speaking on Kildare Today, she said that she'll have to change her work hours because of this:

"The funny thing is I'm going top be following the bus in the morning and afternoon, and I'll have to change work hours because of this, we live out in the country so car pooling isn't even an option."

"I'm left now without a bus ticket for my two girls, despite the fact I've the ticket for the last two years, but it has transcribed that friends of my daughters who live in Celbridge itself, have actually received bus tickets, I don't know how those tickets were allocated and now I'm left without one."

Social Democrats TD for Kildare North Aidan Farrelly received a response from Bus Éireann recently, saying that even if a school is not the first place recommended based on a student's home address, a bus place should still be allocated.

Ms Barry said that she is also aware of 10 other children that previously had bus places and no longer have a place.

Department of Education had stated that it is a priority for them and that are reviewing the matter, but Ms Barry said that this didn't give her any hope in terms of the situation being resolved.

The full interview can be heard below: