As students prepare to return to both primary and second-level schools, there are concerns over how the school bus service will operate - that's according to Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice.

The school transport system will run as normal for primary school pupils, with buses running at full capacity.

However, the Education Minister Norma Foley announced last week that buses for secondary school students will only be permitted to run at 50% capacity - which would mean needing over 1500 extra buses nationally.

Deputy Fitzmaurice has questioned where these buses will come from, and says many bus companies are already struggling to find drivers for the buses they have - as some previous drivers have found alternative work during the lockdown.

The Independent TD is also questioning the decision to compensate parents who decide to drive their children to school, rather than opting for the school bus service.

If this means the numbers availing of the bus then drop below the minimum threshold of ten, he asks does this mean the bus will then be cancelled?

Deputy Fitzmaurice says we cannot allow the number of students who avail of discretionary school transport to be reduced, or the number of bus routes to drop because of last week's decision.

He says the Education Minister has a number of questions to answer in relation to the school transport scheme.