Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans regarding 11 children who have been traditionally collected every morning to go to a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28429/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has confirmed that applications in respect of a number of pupils attending the school referred to by the Deputy were received by the relevant local office. However, as the pupils do not reside at least two miles from the school concerned, as required under the terms of the primary school transport scheme, they were deemed ineligible for free transport. Pupils who do not meet the distance requirement may, subject to conditions, including the availability of spare seats after all eligible pupils have been accommodated, avail of concessionary fare paying transport. My Department understands it was not possible to provide concessionary transport in respect of all of the pupils concerned as sufficient seats were not available after all eligible pupils were accommodated.