Up to 380 school children are currently without a school bus service over four months into the school year, according to the Department of Transport.
The Department said the difficulties in providing a service was due to driver and bus shortages in the sector.
One of the areas affected is Foynes in Co Limerick, where 25 children from Foynes National School are without a service since the current school year began.
Every day, twice a day parents are having to make arrangements to bring their children to school and to pick them up again at 3pm.
This is leading to traffic congestion at the school and an increasingly frustrated parents' group.
Sarah Higgins has two children attending the school and is one of the parents affected.
"I’m working in Limerick city, which is 45 minutes away. I have to be at work for 9am," she said.
"My husband works in Co Kerry, but he has to bring the children to school every morning and leave his work early to pick them up at 3pm. He then returns to his job in Co Kerry to make up the lost hours."
She said the ongoing issue is having a big impact on their family life.
"My husband doesn’t get back home until after 9pm during the week as he has to make up his lost work hours. He and the children are missing out on invaluable family time."
Eva O’Donnell is another mother who is affected.
"This is the first time since 1970 that this area has been without a bus service. It’s having a big impact on families in the area and it must be sorted as a matter of urgency," she said.
Laura Whelan is a member of the parents group who have set up an online petition in an effort to find a solution.
"We paid for our tickets last summer and we still don't have a service. It’s a ridiculous situation that has gone on now for over four months. We want this sorted and we want our bus service back," she added.
In a statement the Department of Education said: "Bus Éireann have reported that on occasion this school year, routes where busses were secured and tickets issued, were handed back at short notice. This is against a backdrop of significant shortages of drivers in the labour market in transport sectors nationally.
"Bus Éireann is continuing to prioritise sourcing vehicles and drivers, however, they have confirmed that a small number of routes remain without a service, this equates to circa 0.2% of pupils with tickets nationally (or less than 0.14% of vehicles) with services being provided for over 99.8% of pupils on a daily basis."
The Dept also said an interim grant had been established to "assist with the cost of private transport arrangements families may have to put in place until their service begins".
They said that as the grant is based on the number of days a child attends school, it cannot be paid in advance and instead will be paid out to families retrospectively.
