O’SULLIVAN CALLS FOR URGENT IMPLEMENTATION OF FREE SCHOOL TRAVEL FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN

Labour spokesperson on Children, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has welcomed the announcement that homeless children living with their families in emergency accommodation will finally be able to access free school transport in the Dublin region.

Under questioning from Deputy O’Sullivan in the Dáil this afternoon, the Minister for Housing Simon Coveney confirmed that the scheme, which was first announced in the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness last July, would finally begin at the end of the month.

Deputy O’Sullivan said:

“While children are now well into the second half of the school year, it is a case of better late than never that the children of homeless families in emergency accommodation will finally be able to access free school travel, which was promised to them back in July 2016.

“I have been pressing both Minister Coveney and Minister Zappone on this issue since last October, and I welcome that the ‘logistical difficulties’ mentioned at the time now appear to have been ironed out.

“These children are already living in extremely difficult circumstances that no child should have to face and this is one less thing for their parents to worry about.

“It is now vital that these leap cards are distributed as soon as possible.”