Mr. Ciarán Delaney:

Mr. O'Leary will confirm that a lot of the school transport fleet is cascading down from public service obligation, PSO, vehicles and the old vehicles do not have wheelchair lifts. A small number of the yellow low-floor buses was purchased in 2006. It is going to take probably 20 years before one has any hope of a wheelchair accessible bus. There is a crazy situation in the Department of Education and Skills, where if there are two siblings, one on the autistic spectrum and the other not on the spectrum, the sibling not on the spectrum cannot travel with the autistic person; if this was allowed, it could act as a relaxant rather than a stressor for the child. This means applying basic cop-on and a change.

With regard to Horgan's Quay, the Chairman indicated earlier that the committee would go on a little trip. I have a little present for members when the committee comes down to Cork. One of the committee - Deputy Barry will be excluded because he lives in the city - will be invited to use a wheelchair and see how he or she can get around from Horgan's Quay and try to get up the Lower Glanmire Road. Pádraic said he has tried it before, and it took 25 minutes in a power wheelchair to get from Horgan's Quay on to Railway Street - Mr. O'Leary knows that one can climb up that hill and down. One of the committee members can do this. I know Paul, Etaoine and Joare delighted that they will not be the ones using the wheelchair.