Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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With respect, we would all love if every parent could decide what school a child will attend, and we try to facilitate choice as best we can, but it is taxpayers' money and we are trying to provide a public transport system for more than 100,000 pupils as best we can within the budget. We do not have the finances to allow endless choice. This is why a scheme was introduced. If parents made their own choice in all cases, and certainly with regard to special needs, we would have to try to provide buses going every which way, and we cannot do this. There must be a system and guidelines, and we hope this is applied in such a way as to suit everyone's needs. I have seen cases in which the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Health have come together to find alternative solutions, and we have managed to achieve this in some cases. We are always reviewing guidelines and rules to see whether we can change them to allow for this. We cannot have a situation in which a parent decides. Yes, they are best placed to know, and they certainly have influence and meet the SENOs, as I deal with cases on a daily basis in which there is engagement, but someone must make the call to apply the rules, and it cannot be the parent.