Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious of one of the motivations of this review, since I come from a rural county and know about its importance and its potential. That motivation is to ensure that we are meeting the needs of students and families, that we are providing opportunities, and that we have a clear emphasis on value for money. We also want to ensure we are conscious of accessibility for students and of encouraging families to use buses and public transport as opposed to family cars. The Deputy referred to the cost of living. Just recently, conscious of the cost of living, there have been lower caps for multiple children, with a reduction in the cost of utilising the school transport system from €650 to €500 for secondary school children, and €200 to €150 for primary school children. The reason for the review is ensuring that we have a service to meet the needs.

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