Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)

I also have serious concerns about the impact of the changes to the post-primary school transport scheme. Schools in rural areas or smaller towns in County Tipperary such as Borrisoleigh, Templemore, Killenaule, Ballingarry and others are concerned that the changes will drastically affect their viability, as they will radically limit the number of children who can avail of subsidised transport. This is pertinent, given the severe financial pressure to which many families are subject. The difference between paying for a bus service and securing subsidised transport may be large enough to swing the decision to enrol a child in one school over another. As a result of this revised transport scheme, parents are faced with an impossible situation whereby they may already have children enrolled in a secondary school but have now discovered that younger children who wish to enroll in that school will not be entitled to subsidised transport. In these difficult times, the burden of paying €350 for school transport is often too much to bear and a parent must consider the possibility of sending a child to a different school from the school attended by his siblings. Separating family members is clearly not desirable and will only result in families being placed under additional pressure with different pick-up points and collection times.

I have several specific concerns with the operation of the scheme. Several discrepancies in County Tipperary have been brought to my attention. Specifically I have been contacted regarding bus routes to secondary schools that serve more than one school. Several schools in my constituency are facing a situation whereby numerous pupils have been informed that they are not entitled to subsidised transport to a given school because there is another school closer to the child's home. This is despite the fact that the school bus serves the school and that, geographically, it is further from the child's house when the bus travels on to a second school which is closer to the child's home. Essentially, this means pupils will be subsidised for a longer journey and will not be subsided to the closest school according to the bus route although there are places on the bus and that bus passes the school of their choice. This is a particular issue in the Killenaule area. This is an illogical decision and it has angered many families. I have been contacted by parents who have been informed that their child only qualifies for subsidised transport to the second school as it is the closest school having regard to a walking route. The walking route referred to in this instance is 10 km long through boreens not fit for vehicles. The decisions to refuse someone on these grounds is devoid of common sense.

I would appreciate if the Minister could provide clarification on what is deemed to be an appropriate school. I have spoken to several parents who, having made an application, were refused subsidised transport for a chosen school based solely on the grounds of distance. I call on the Minister of State to provide clarification on whether a child is entitled to subsidised transport to travel marginally further to a school that matches the ethos and beliefs of the family. Will the Minister of State provide information on exactly how the closest appropriate school is decided? I call on the Minster to ensure that any application decided solely on the basis of distance grounds should be reviewed along with the issue of buses serving several schools.

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