Schoolchildren with special needs in Letterkenny 'are facing intolerable delays'

Schoolchildren with special needs in Letterkenny are facing intolerable delays travelling to and from school as a result of dire traffic congestion.

That’s according to Aontú Rep Rebecca McDaid, who said that children had spent unnecessary delays on a school bus last week as the vehicle simply couldn’t move forward with the traffic congestion in the town.

McDaid, who works as an SNA (Special Needs Assistant) on a school bus says that parents have contacted her to voice their upset at the situation, adding that she completely empathises with them given their children’s additional needs.

“It’s bad enough for anybody to be stuck in traffic, but for children with special needs, it’s just awful,” she said. “Some of these little children are non-verbal, and naturally, they get extremely frustrated while sitting in traffic, especially if they have to stay on buses far longer than they normally would.

“These children have routines, and they live by those routines. Anything that takes them off their course is very upsetting for them and throws them totally off kilter.

“Parents are extremely worried and full of anxiety when there are delays with the bus journey, as they know the effects on their children. It’s just awful that families are on the receiving end of this. These ongoing and unacceptable delays are of course, totally out of the hands of all bus drivers and SNAs on the buses.

“It is high time now that a decision is made regarding the projected new road layout plan for Letterkenny, and works must be started immediately. Our town is growing at a fast pace; the population is increasing dramatically, yet our roads are still the same and are not keeping pace at all. We need relief roads now.

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“Our children are depending on the actions of the road authorities to make their bus journeys a bit more tolerable. As we all know, the needs of children with special needs are increasing and therefore, more children will be using the bus service to get to and from school.

“It’s simply not fair that they have to endure lengthy delays because planners have stalled on the most important aspect of a growing town, the relief roads and bridges. It begs the question of when they intend to actually improve and prioritise the new plan.”