Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State responsible for lifelong learning, Deputy Haughey. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the general position regarding post-primary school transport for children residing in the area referred to by the Deputy.

The Deputy will be aware that the provision of school transport is a massive logistical operation involving the transportation by Bus Éireann of more than 125,000 children each day to primary and post-primary schools, including more than 8,000 children with special educational needs.

Under the terms of the Department's post-primary school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if he or she resides 4.8 km or more from his or her local post-primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which he or she lives.

The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the catchment area in which they reside. However, children who are eligible for transport to the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which they reside may apply for transport on a concessionary basis to a post-primary centre outside of their own catchment area, otherwise known as catchment boundary transport. These children can be facilitated only if spare seats are available on the bus after all other eligible children travelling to the post-primary centre in which they live have been catered for.

In regard to the specific case raised by the Deputy, the Minister has outlined in previous replies to his parliamentary questions that children availing of concessionary transport must make their own way to the catchment boundary.

The safety of schoolchildren, irrespective of whether they are eligible for transport or availing of concessionary transport, is of paramount importance to the Department and to Bus Éireann. In recent years, a range of measures to enhance safety and to improve the quality of the school transport service has been put in place, both in the vicinity of and on board school buses. These measures include the phasing out of the three-for-two seating arrangement on both primary and post-primary services and providing all children with an individual seat equipped with a seat belt.

The Deputy will be aware that the planning of school bus routes, which includes the designation of pick-up and set-down points, is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. It is a feature of the school transport scheme that children availing of transport, other than those with special needs, have to make their own way to pick-up points.

The position in this case is that a child with special needs is picked up at home in accordance with the terms of the school transport scheme for children with special needs. The bus then proceeds to the next pick-up point which is close to the catchment boundary.

The children in question are not attending the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which they reside. Concessionary transport is not guaranteed and can be offered only from the nearest designated pick-up point under the terms of the scheme, which in this case is close to the catchment boundary. While individual cases regarding school transport are brought to the Department's attention from time to time, such cases are generally dealt with under the terms of the school transport scheme. Persons who are not satisfied with the Department's decision may appeal to the independent school transport appeals board.

The value for money review of the school transport scheme, including catchment boundaries, is due to be completed by the end of 2009. I thank the Deputy once again for raising this matter.

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