Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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The rules for the primary school transport scheme will change as a result of budget 2011 and these changes will come into effect for the school year 2011-12. The main changes are the introduction of an annual charge, the removal of eligibility under the central closed school rules for certain children living less than 3.2 km from the school, and a minimum of ten eligible children required to retain a transport service in a respective area.

These changes, when implemented, will cause problems and place pressure on children, parents, teachers and bus providers. Traffic hazards will also result where a service is withdrawn. In one part of north Kerry, some ten services have already been removed. This will cause hardship and the extra cars on the roads will give rise to safety issues at schools. The changes go against the commitment given over 30 years ago when primary schools were amalgamated or closed. Negotiations between the various parties and the Department at the time came to an agreement that a service would be provided, but now that agreement is being broken. The guarantees given then created a sense of trust and commitment, but that exists no longer.

Last night, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, Deputy Arthur Spring and I attended a meeting in Listowel which was attended by more than 400 people, from north Kerry, parts of Limerick, south Kerry and even one from Clare. There is absolute fear and dissatisfaction across the spectrum at what is being proposed and with what has been done. I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, is due to meet the people in the area in Listowel in a few weeks time. People are worried, concerned and fearful. Up to 40 people who attended the meeting last night spoke on the subject, but not one of them mentioned the fee of €50. Therefore, the issue is not the fee but the service, which if reduced will have a huge impact. Many of the contributors from the floor mentioned children travelling to school who currently have transport, but who, because of the implementation of the value for money review, will not have transport to school for the 2012-2013 school year, while their brother or sister may remain eligible. This issue is causing significant problems.

The proposals are also full of contradictions. With effect from 2011-12, there will be a charge of €50 for each eligible children, but eligible children who hold a medical card will not have to pay the charge. If there are seats available, a child who is not eligible to use the transport, can use it for a fee of €200 per annum. Children on medical cards who are not eligible will also have to pay the €200 if a seat is available for them, but will pay nothing if they are eligible. The proposals are full of contradictions and are causing a huge problem in rural Ireland. I submitted a question on this issue to the previous Minister of State, former Deputy Seán Haughey, and he responded that under the four-year national recovery plan, some €4.5 million in savings would need to be secured in 2011, rising to €17 million in 2014, through a combination of increases in charges and the implementation of measures identified in the value for money review of the school transport scheme.

Is it intended that these measures will be implemented and are we talking about taking €17 million from the school transport scheme? Can the Minister of State provide a guarantee that he will look at this issue in a positive manner that will reassure people? A principal teacher at the meeting last night drew a diagram for us showing the radius of the respective schools and demonstrated that some two thirds of areas within that area were not eligible for transport. This is another problem. We face safety problems, eligibility problems and the 3.2 km problem, yet not one person at the meeting last night mentioned the cost of €50. I thank the Chair for taking this matter on the Adjournment.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Ferris for raising this matter.

The Deputy refers to the changes in the primary transport scheme announced in budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government. These changes derive from recommendations in the value for money review of the school transport scheme and relate to the introduction of charges, changes to the "closed school rule" and changes to the minimum numbers required to establish or maintain a service.

I will now give more detailed information on the proposed changes. With effect from the 2011-12 school year, a transport fee of €50 per annum will be introduced for eligible primary school pupils, with a maximum family charge for eligible primary pupils only of €110 per annum. Eligible children who hold a valid medical card are exempt from paying the charge. Evidence suggests that school transport charges compare very favourably with the charges being levied by the private sector. While the charges vary from area to area, some parents are paying between €20 and €25 per child per week, which equates to between €730 and €915 per child per school year at primary level. It is worth noting that the actual cost to the State of providing bus transport per child nationally is approximately €1,020 per annum.

As a consequence of the introduction of charges, parents now have to apply directly to Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department, for school transport for their children. The charge is being introduced to ensure that school transport provided for eligible primary pupils is fully utilised in a cost effective manner.

The Deputy will be familiar with the closed school and central school rules for school transport eligibility purposes introduced in the 1960s in circumstances where a primary school or a number of primary schools closed and were amalgamated. No time limit has been applied to the closed school or central school rule. In some cases, the primary school in question was closed up to 40 years ago and amalgamated with another school. In some instances, a newer school has subsequently been built in the general area of the original closed school. Under the current primary school transport scheme, however, the transport provided is to the amalgamated school only, even in circumstances where there is actually a newer school closer to the pupil's home. A pupil in these circumstances is not eligible for free transport to the newer school.

With regard to forward planning policy to meet pupil places annually, the Department of Education and Skills assesses school accommodation needs in each area based on local demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet demand for places. The closed school rule can operate to distort parental decisions and result in pupils travelling longer distances than necessary were they to go to the nearest school.

The specific changes announced in the closed school rule are as follows. From the commencement of the 2011-12 school year, the distance criteria will be applied to all pupils attending primary schools and the exemption under the closed school rule will cease. This means that children who reside less than 3.2 km from the school of attendance and who are availing of free transport to that school under the closed school rule will no longer be eligible for school transport. From the 2012-13 school year, eligibility based on the closed school rule and the central school rule will cease for all new children entering primary schools. It is, however, important to emphasise that existing primary pupils availing of transport under the closed school rule will retain transport eligibility for the duration of their schooling, provided the requisite distance is met. Moreover, given that the change in question will not come into being until September 2012, all new pupils enrolling this September will be eligible under the closed school rule.

To put this issue fully into context drawing on the report of the value for money review of the school transport scheme, the following facts are relevant. In the 2009-10 school year, transport services under the closed school rule operated to more than 800 primary schools with almost 26,000 children, representing 54.4% of mainstream tickets issued, deemed eligible for school transport under this rule. According to sample studies undertaken for the value for money review estimates, applied nationally, in the majority of cases where such transport has been provided pupils already attend their nearest primary school. While the application of the closed school rule is referred to in these cases, it does not mean that they are not travelling to their nearest school. The transport of such a significant number of children, some of whom would not qualify for transport on the basis of the distance criterion alone, involves a cost.

Regarding the application of the distance rule, Bus Éireann is undertaking a detailed assessment of pupils attending each school concerned. Parents affected will be notified by Bus Éireann of changes to their transport eligibility with effect from the 2011-12 school year.

Families who are no longer eligible for school transport as they reside less than 3.2 km from the school of attendance may apply for concessionary transport, in circumstances where there are spare seats available when all eligible children have been catered for, on payment of the charge of €200.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The time is up now.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I will quickly conclude. I want to address some of the points Deputy Martin Ferris raised.

Regarding the minimum numbers required to establish a service - this is particularly pertinent to the points the Deputy was making - the changes mean that services under the minimum numbers - either single services or which are part of double-tripping arrangements - will be discontinued. A pick-up density of pupils in a distinct locality on a particular route - increasing from the current minimum of seven to ten eligible children - will be required to establish or retain services. This brings the minimum numbers required to establish services back to 2002 levels.

Bus Éireann is undertaking a detailed examination of all such services to establish the routes in question and parents or guardians of pupils affected will be notified of changes in due course.