The mother of a boy with complex medical needs has said a place on the school bus for her other child has been a 'lifeline' to the family.

Joanne Geraghty is a full-time carer in Co Galway, and was recently told there was no place on school transport for her eldest son.

Her younger, eight-year-old son has numerous complex medical needs and suffers from developmental delay.

She told The Hard Shoulder they really relied on this.

"We have used the bus service since my oldest son started secondary school.

"So it was a great service to us - in fact it's a lifeline to us.

"We exhaust the goodwill within the community for so many other favours that we need, year-in year-out, that this was one thing we had sorted.

"One thing that we knew it was safe and it was reliable".

She said while they live less than four kilometres from the school, the road is busy and not safe to cycle on.

Joanne said she can't bring her eldest son, as she has to give full-time attention to her youngest.

"I'm really stuck, and it's the particular time of the morning.

"My son has all the medical needs, depending what kind of night he's had, depending what he's suffering with as well.

"He could be post-surgery, he could be anything.... that time of the morning, I cannot get out.

"It takes hours to do his routine and everything that needs to be done.

"If it was 10am I'd have a chance, because when he's well I'd have to get him into services for his physio and things anyway".

Main image: A rural Bus Éireann school bus in Co Mayo in 2009.  Picture by: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland