Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 1099: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of new and of existing catchment-boundary and other concessionary students who have failed to secure a seat in the school bus system as of mid-September 2005. [24584/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is difficult to give a precise answer to the Deputy's question for a number of reasons. In the first instance, a large number of families do not submit remittances until very shortly before, or even after the new school year is under way, and this has been the case this year. In addition, a large number of new applications on behalf of eligible children, catchment boundary children and concessionary children have been received since the school year began and these are currently being processed.

The position with regard to available seats is changing on a daily basis as arrangements are being put in place to accommodate fresh applications and as remittances are received. In addition, some primary schools are returning unused tickets for cancellation that were originally issued to fully eligible children but were subsequently not needed. This has in turn released seats for re-allocation. Tickets are still in the process of being returned. Currently, 260 new catchment boundary applicants who have submitted remittances are awaiting transport being made available. A further 142 post-primary children and 240 primary children have applied for transport on a concessionary basis. Some of the applications pending for concessionary post-primary students relate to students attending post-leaving certificate courses.

Each year, student who live within three miles from the post-primary centre of their catchment or two miles from their national school apply for a place on a concessionary basis. To date, 151 post-primary children and 234 primary children have applied for transport on a concessionary basis only, and to date have been refunded moneys because no transport was available for concessionary applicants on the routes concerned. In the overall context of an operation which involves the transportation of 138,000 children on a daily basis, these figures are not significant and may be further reduced in the context of the rapidly changing situation outlined. In addition to all eligible pupils, Bus Éireann is endeavouring to ensure, through the organisation and management of routes and services, that all existing catchment boundary pupils are carried and that new catchment boundary pupils will be facilitated to the greatest possible extent. Concessionary pupils will continue to be carried on an incidental basis subject to seat availability.