Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. However, it is not a more cost effective scheme for many parents who must share substantial additional costs. In the reply to a parliamentary question the Department was only able to estimate the proposed savings from the introduction of this measure. Therefore, there must only be minimal savings. The implementation of this new regulation will impose undue hardship on many families. We will see ridiculous situations such as older siblings attending one school in a post-primary centre and their younger siblings attending a different post-primary centre. Some pupils have been enrolled in certain schools already and parents have bought uniforms and books. These children are ready to start in their new school next September. I believe that the new regulation will be inoperable in some cases where there has been a pattern of attendance at particular post-primary centres established over the years.

I appeal to the Minister of State and the Department to review this issue because it will not bring about substantial savings. In many cases the scheme will be inoperable and there is a need for flexibility to provide an important school transport service especially for rural Ireland. The Department should consider localising the provision of school transport. Over the years the introduction of the devolved building grants scheme has been successful. More has been achieved with less expenditure. The same could be achieved in the provision of school transport. I call on the Minister to ask his officials to take an urgent look at this case.

I call on the Minister of State to discuss another matter with the building unit in the Department. We are awaiting the provision of a new second level school in Kingscourt. The provision of the new school was approved in March 2009. Much preparatory work has been done with regard to design and a site has been purchased.

See this speech in context