Hundreds of Limerick children left with no school transport after bus operator makes 'heartbreaking' decision

HUNDREDS of children and teenagers in west Limerick have been left without school transport after Paudie Kenneally made the "heartbreaking" decision to pull his service over the cost of fuel. 

The owner of Paudie Kenneally Coach Hire, based in Newcastle West, said he decided to stop running it on Sunday night after reviewing the Government’s new support package. 

He has a fleet of 24 vehicles between buses and cars and 17 full-time staff. Paudie says he has 12 or 13 buses bringing some 800 children and teenagers to primary and secondary schools in Newcastle West, Rathkeale, Abbeyfeale, Broadford, Athea and others.

Paudie took to Facebook to say after hearing the Government’s response on Sunday night, to fuel going up 35 cent a litre in the last month, that he will not be operating school transport services on Monday or for the foreseeable future. 

“I’m not going to go bankrupt to cover school runs for Bus Eireann or anyone. My late father (Dave (Joe) Kenneally) and myself are covering school runs for 42 years. I feel sorry for our kids using our services but this is now a race to the bottom. I'm a busman and I'll always be a busman.

"They'll probably get someone to cover some of the services, but more than likely there will be children that will not get a service to school,” said Paudie.

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He told Limerick Live he paid €1.69 a litre for diesel in January and €2.02 in April which equates to a rise of €2,000 extra per week.

Paudie contacted families and Bus Eireann to inform them.

“I couldn't make my decision until last night. I'll be honest and straight with you - if I didn't do something, I was going to go down, because there's no way you can carry a 35 cent increase on school transport. There's no business that could do it. The figures don’t add up.”

He said he was “heartbroken” making the decision to stop bringing children to school.

“I'm driving SEN (Special Educational Needs) children from even before we had escorts and we have a duty of care. I mind those kids as if they were my own. They all have their little differences and their own little quirks and you'd be stone mad about them. It upsets me that I can't operate the school runs but I am going to go under and I can't allow that to happen.”

Paudie says he also has to take into account his husband, their relationship and his health.

“I was lying in bed last night looking up at the lightbulb just thinking - the old head doesn't switch off. There's a lot of stress involved”.

Paudie says he will continue on with the private hire side of the business and scale back from 22 vehicles to five.

The only way he said he would return to school transport is if the price of diesel came down to €1.75 per litre, get VAT back on the buses purchased, and on tyres and parts.

Paudie said he supported the fuel demonstrations by calling down and bringing food to the protest on the M20 and at the blockade in Foynes.

“I'm not political at all. I'm just trying to keep the show going. The middle classes are getting a fierce hammering. It's all tax upon tax upon tax. Our operating costs have gone through the roof and we are getting no break whatsoever,” he concluded.

A Bus Éireann spokesperson, in response to a media query from Limerick Live, said they operate the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The scheme provides transport for over 181,000 pupils daily to and from school and includes the provision of transport for over 24,000 children with additional needs.

“Bus Éireann is aware that many pupils, parents, and school communities rely on school transport services on a daily basis.  Bus Éireann would urge any contractor to first formally communicate their decision to withdraw their service to Bus Éireann to whom they provide these services under contract on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.

“This enables Bus Éireann to endeavour to source alternative transport solutions, especially if sufficient notice is given by a contractor. Announcing such disruption via social media can cause considerable distress and confusion for families and local schools and so we urge contractors to consider the impact of such action on local communities.

“Bus Éireann would like to apologise to all families affected by this action and wishes to assure families that our local office is trying to secure alternative transport solutions as a priority.  Bus Éireann will contact families directly when transport becomes available,” said the spokesperson.