As Ireland enters a new period of lockdown, it seems our politicians are more interested in praising teachers for their contribution to keeping schools open rather than the drivers and  operators that bring them to school.  

As the country enters a new phase of lockdown, most of the economy will cease to trade. However, schools are one of the services that will continue to survive and stay open. For those involved in continuing to make sure that children can still get to school, it was unfortunate that An Taoiseach Micheal Martin never mentioned the school transport system. An opportunity lost to acknowledge these vital service providers.

A tweet from Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC) member Caoimhe Moloney highlighted this, reminding the Taoiseach that he had thanked everybody else in the education system. Bus operators and their drivers have not threatened to hold the pupils and parents of the country to ransom, for very little thanks. It seems that the squeaky wheel has received most attention again. Meanwhile the bus operators are is still expected to carry the cost of cleaning and sanitising their vehicles, as the Government bow to the pressure of Teacher Unions. We are not really in this altogether, are we?