Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I thank both Deputies for raising this matter. As they are both aware, school transport is a very significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on the Department's behalf and covering over 82 million km annually. Approximately 113,000 children, including more than 8,000 children with special needs, are transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

The Deputies are referring to the changes regarding school transport eligibility for children attending post-primary schools, which take effect from the beginning of the next school year. At the outset I want to explain that the main objective of the Department's school transport scheme is to support the safe transport to and from school of children who would have difficulty travelling, for reasons of distance, to their nearest school if transport is not supported.

The current system for determining eligibility for school transport at post-primary level has been in place for over 40 years. In 1966, when the Government announced the introduction of free post-primary education, the country was divided for planning purposes into geographic districts which we have now come to know as catchment areas, each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools.

Post-primary pupils are eligible for transport if they reside 4.8 km or more from their local post-primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which they live. The definition of school transport catchment boundaries has been the cause of many submissions and representations to the Department over the years. It is widely considered by many that the current catchment boundary areas do not reflect changed demographics.

Changes in the post primary school transport scheme were announced in budget 2011. One of the changes which will take effect from this September means that the use of the catchment area system as a means of determining eligibility will cease for all pupils newly entering a post-primary school. From this date, school transport eligibility for all new pupils entering a post-primary school will be determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest post-primary education centre having regard to ethos and language. This eligibility criterion will be applied equitably on a national basis.

In general, existing eligible children, including those who are not attending their nearest post-primary centre and who meet the distance criterion of 4.8 km, will retain their transport eligibility for the duration of their post-primary education cycle provided there is no change to their current circumstances. Siblings of these children and other children who are not attending their nearest school may apply for school transport on a concessionary basis only in accordance with the terms of the post primary school transport scheme.

Regarding the planning of school infrastructure, the general approach of the Department is to plan on the basis of pupils attending at their nearest primary schools and that those primary schools then feed into attendance at the nearest post-primary schools or the nearest post-primary centre generally. The changes announced in post-primary school transport services are in line with this approach and ultimately will result in a more efficient and cost effective scheme.

While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice, eligibility for school transport is to the nearest school, having regard for ethos and language.

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