Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it affords me, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, the opportunity of outlining to the House the position regarding school transport to Pallaskenry post-primary centre from the Limerick city catchment area.

The school transport scheme was established to cater for children in rural areas who, if living a long distance from school, might otherwise have difficulty in attending school regularly. Approximately 140,000 primary and post-primary pupils use the school transport scheme on a regular basis. The scheme is administered by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. Approximately 2,900 vehicles are used to provide the service, covering around 5,000 routes. The co-ordination of school transport provision under the terms of the scheme at post-primary level is the responsibility of the transport liaison officer of the relevant vocational education committee.

To be eligible for transport under the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme a pupil must, among other things, live three miles or more from his or her appropriate post-primary education centre. Those eligible may be transported to the post-primary centre which caters for the catchment area in which they live. Pupils may be allowed the concession of transport, otherwise known as catchment boundary transport, to a centre other than the post-primary centre catering for the catchment area in which they live, provided there are spare seats available on the bus after all eligible pupils to that centre have been catered for. In this particular case, pupils residing in the Limerick city catchment area may avail of catchment boundary transport to Pallaskenry post-primary centre, subject to the specific terms of the school transport scheme as previously outlined.

While it is the prerogative of parents to send children to the school of their choice, it is not the object of the school transport scheme to facilitate them in exercising that choice. The Department will liaise with the transport liaison officer of County Limerick VEC regarding any difficulties that may arise through the implementation of the terms of the school transport scheme.

I assure Senator Brennan that I will bring his views to the Minister at the first available opportunity and will request that the Department liaise with the transport liaison officer of County Limerick VEC at the earliest possible date. I hope there will be no delay in ensuring that this happens. I thank Senator Brennan for raising this matter, which is important to him. Although neither the Minister nor the Minister of State was available to take the Adjournment debate, I assure him I will communicate the details of the case to them within a matter of days.