John Whelan (Labour)

I thank the Minister of State for dealing with this matter. He has always been available and forthcoming on these issues.

Our concerns are about rural families. I accept that changes are required as a result of budgetary constraints and the Department must be aware of numbers and figures. However, in the case of rural areas, it is not always down to statistics and it is not always easy to define boundaries. I have been inundated with inquiries from concerned parents and grandparents in areas such as Ballyadams and Ballylinan and I am sure this also applies to other rural villages and parishes across the country. The changes in school bus transport initiated in the budget are now coming into play. Some of the implications may not have been anticipated. For instance, I am concerned about legacy issues. Generations of families may have attended a particular school in their locality which may not necessarily and technically be the school nearest to them. For instance, a brother and a sister may be attending a local primary school but a sibling due to start school next September will be informed that in order to avail of school bus transport he or she must attend another school which may well be in another parish or in another county in some instances. This is not fair nor does it make common sense, even though this is the rule. School-going siblings are being split up as a result and this is not sensible. Parents cannot be in two places at one time. Very often children may have to attend events beyond the scope of the school transport system and it is not possible for parents to divide themselves in half.

While the rules have to be applied I ask that some common sense would be factored into the arrangement and that perhaps an appeals process could be considered. I ask that inspectors applying the regulations would take into account when considering new applicants the fact that siblings already attend a school and that the family may have a connection over generations with a particular school. The new arrangements may be a burden and may cause unnecessary concern to families.