Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the situation which arises in Kinnegad, County Westmeath, whereby children from the general catchment area attend secondary schools in Mullingar as well as Rochfortbridge and Killucan; the circumstances involved in this instance which requires transport to be provided to the three areas; if she will consider so doing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26137/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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For the purposes of post-primary education provision, the country is divided into catchment areas. Under the terms of the school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for school transport if he or she resides 4.8 km or more from the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which he or she lives. Eligible pupils who wish to attend a post-primary centre other than the one serving the catchment area in which they reside may be allowed transport on school services from within the catchment boundary of the centre being attended, subject to there being spare seats available on those services and provided that no additional cost is incurred.

Kinnegad is within the Killucan catchment area. Pupils from the Kinnegad area attending a centre serving the Killucan catchment area who meet the distance requirement are eligible for transport. Pupils from the Kinnegad area attending schools in Mullingar or Rochfortbridge can apply to avail of catchment boundary facilities subject to the conditions outlined.