Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach agus gabhaim buíochas leis as bheith anseo. Fine Gael opposed the budget because it was a poor budget that did not address the existing problems and not specifically because of the provisions for the primary school transport scheme announced therein, which the Minister now is implementing. I welcome and acknowledge the constructive support of Fianna Fáil for the Minister in implementing these changes. However, I caution against too much flexibility because questions on whether flexibility may exist may lead to asking whether a stroke may be pulled and one must be fair to everyone.

In addition, on the Traveller issue the proposed changes in the transport scheme for Travellers are for the purposes of inclusion and are not based on financial criteria. I have a personal interest in this, given that difficulties exist in respect of the issue of Travellers, education and inclusion. We must be more inclusive when considering Traveller education and must avoid suggesting they are children of a lesser god. While I acknowledge this is not what the previous speaker was implying, we must consider new ways because the old ways are not working.

I welcome the cessation of the closed school rule. More than 50 years have elapsed since it was introduced and it is time to review it. Many families who now live within closed school rule areas were not there in 1960 and a completely new situation has arisen. As the Ombudsman noted, it is long past the time for a review of this rule and consequently I do not perceive a problem in this regard. Everyone must be treated equally, particularly given the new fiscal position in which we unfortunately find ourselves. On the minimum number of eligible children to have a bus service being increased from seven to ten, I note this number was decreased from ten to seven in 2002. That year was the year of years, by which I mean it was the year in which foreign direct investment, sustainable and small businesses and competitiveness were forgotten about and all faith was placed in an unsustainable building boom in which capital gains taxes were used to falsely sustain the economy. Consequently, we must move back and reconsider matters because the aforementioned capital gains taxes are no longer available to falsely sustain the economy. The point is that people now are being asked to give of their substance rather than of their surplus to correct the fiscal deficit. As we cannot tax any more, Ministers are being asked to rationalise and to consider ways of saving money and I will support fully the Minister in that regard.

It is a good idea in principle that Bus Éireann will assume responsibility for the operation of the school transport system. I pay €650 per year for the secondary school system for three kids and a couple of years ago, I contacted Bus Éireann for the first time. I was told that I would be obliged to apply to the VEC, which would handle my application after which it would be forwarded to the bus company. I did not think very much of that system at the time. Were tenders invited for the operation of the school transport system? With reference to the point made by Senator Power on the administrative costs associated with the school transport system, are they audited or accounted for separately or are they included in the general Bus Éireann pool?

I again thank the Minister of State for his attendance to outline what is involved in the changes in such precise detail to Members.