Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I attended a small, two-teacher rural school for eight years and that school continues to function perfectly well to this day without any school transport. All of the children attending that school either walk, cycle or are driven to and from school by their parents or grandparents or other family members.

The value for money report carried out by the previous Government and the changes suggested in it were part of a budgetary decision taken in October 2010. The value for money report, in assessing the likely impact of these changes on school-going children, carried out, I would argue, a sketchy assessment of the likely implications of these changes. I have asked Bus Éireann to carry out a full and forensic analysis now of the impact of these changes, and the result of that analysis will be available to me towards the end of this month. I intend to use that information to assess the likely negative effects. If it proves that they will be prohibitive and will actually discourage children from attending small rural schools, I undertake to reconsider the review. However, I must at all times do so in the context of having to make the €17 million saving. There can be no flexibility whatsoever in that matter.

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