Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator her very kind remarks. I will endeavour to live up to them. I will give it my best shot. It is a role I eagerly look forward to. I thank the Senator for her engagement on the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. She was extremely informed and extremely forthright in her views. I appreciate that and I appreciate her comments.

I will go through the scheme first of all. Under the current terms of the post-primary school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post-primary school. Distance is determined by the Department and Bus Éireann and rules have regard to ethos and languages. Bus Éireann has advised that children residing in Kildare town are not eligible for transport to the Curragh Community College as they are not attending their nearest post-primary school. It further advises that there is no existing service from Kildare town to this school. In cases where families have applied to attend their nearest school, with regard to ethos and language, and have been advised by the school authorities that these schools are full, the Department will consider if the pupil is eligible for transport to the next nearest school. While the closest school may be full to capacity at present, each family must supply to the school transport section of the Department of Education and Youth an application for enrolment made within the deadline dates specified by the school and a letter from each of the school authorities confirming that the school was full. Contact details for the section can be found on the Department's website at .

A minimum number of ten eligible children residing in a district locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, who have applied and paid or entered their medical card details are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits. Eligible children who complete the application process and pay or enter their medical card details on time will get a seat on a bus service if such a service is available. Children who are not eligible for school transport but who complete the application and pay or enter their medical card details on time will be considered for any spare seats. These are known as concessionary seats.

In the few minutes I have available to me, I will just say this. From the school of dear experience, I know that we should encourage people to make applications. I have been following this in my own local area since being appointed to this role. Even if there is no service available, we should encourage people to make an application. If that threshold of ten pupils is then met, we are obliged to put a service in place. We can then see what type of service to put in place. It is very important that applications are made. The challenge we have is that applications for this year concluded last Friday. Over the next three weeks, we will be correlating the information and figures to determine how to roll out the system over the next two months, by the last week of August. There is a lot of work going on between the Department and Bus Éireann. We have had regular meetings. We had a briefing in the audiovisual room a number of weeks ago that was very well attended by Members of the Houses from across the parties and their teams. This service is very important for all families and students around the country. I will just say that in this instance. I might reply further in my final statement.