Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for being present throughout the afternoon. The matter I raise relates to school transport. After Christmas, the cost of transporting children to school was increased by 40%. This excessive hike most affects remote and rural areas, including my constituency, and will have stark consequences for many families. The average cost of school transport varies from €90 to an exorbitant €450 for some families.

Parents feel the burden of the costs arising from sending their children to school. It is a myth that education is free. Families must pay for school uniforms, tracksuits, runners and the many extra-curricular activities in which children like to participate. Children should not be discriminated against on financial grounds. It is immoral to increase charges for school transport in one fell swoop.

More than 140,000 children avail of the school transport scheme. It is a good service and one which parents clearly wish to use. In an earlier debate today we referred to sustainability and the large number of children who travel to school by car. It is apt that the Minister is present because it is incumbent on the Government, including the Minister's Department, to encourage the establishment of public transport networks in rural areas to bring children to school. In this context, the 40% hike in charges should be reversed.

The qualifying criteria for the school transport scheme include that pupils must live within a two mile radius of the school they attend and be aged more than four years. The former criterion is discriminatory in that buses may not pass the houses of children who live within the two-mile radius. The scheme is also provided on a first-come, first-served basis, which means it does not matter a jot if a child has a sibling at the same school because if there is no room on the bus, he or she will not be transported to school under the scheme. I ask the Minister to ensure these two anomalies are addressed.

The Government must be committed to relieving the burden of the cost of school transport on families. Every child has a constitutional right to education. However, if costs continue to be placed on parents, this right will become seriously eroded. My remarks are not politically motivated. I am aware of families in hard-pressed circumstances in my constituency. It is a fundamental right of every child to attend school and parents must be able to give their children equal opportunities, regardless of their means of whether they live in an urban or rural area.

I call for an overhaul and a review of the school transport scheme. The 40% increase must be reversed and the eligibility criteria changed. Moreover, the issue of catchment boundaries must be addressed. The Department of Education and Science has signalled that further increases may be introduced at Easter to reflect the increase in the cost of providing school transport. I ask the Minister to comment. It is clear there is no intention of reversing the recent hikes given that consideration is being given to imposing further increases on hard-pressed families.