Northern Ireland's public transport operator has confirmed it is investigating a claim that one of its drivers prevented three young people from boarding a bus this morning because they were students at an Irish language school.
The incident is alleged to have happened when the students attempted to board the 106 Ulsterbus service from the village of Crumlin in Co Antrim to Coláiste Feirste in west Belfast.
It is claimed the driver asked if they were from 'the Irish school' and told them they could not board the bus as there was a dedicated school service.
A Sinn Féin member of the Stormont Assembly for west Belfast has said the school does not have a dedicated bus service from Crumlin.
Aisling Reilly has written to the public transport provider Translink asking it to investigate.
"These pupils use this bus daily to commute to school, so it's concerning that they were refused entry with the explanation being given false," she said in a statement .
"Coláiste Feirste does not have its own service from Crumlin with many pupils relying on the 106 service.
"As a result, the three young people were left standing at the side of the road on a dark, cold morning with no transport."
In a statement, Translink has confirmed it is "investigating reports of an incident involving the 106 service this morning".
The statement added: "We are committed to delivering the highest standards of customer care and provide thousands of journeys transporting pupils safely to and from school every day."
Coláiste Feirste was founded in 1991 with just nine students. It is now the largest Irish-medium post primary on the island with over one thousand children attending.
