Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the provision of school transport to a school (details supplied) in County Mayo will be investigated and the service reinstated. [38287/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's post primary school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if he or she resides 4.8 km or more from her or his local post primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which he or she lives.

The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the catchment area in which they reside. However, children who are fully eligible for transport to the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which they reside may apply for transport on a concessionary basis to a post-primary centre outside of their own catchment area, otherwise known as catchment boundary transport. These children can only be facilitated if spare seats are available on the bus after all other eligible children travelling to their post-primary centre have been catered for. Such children have to make their own way either to the catchment boundary or to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area.

The pupils in question who are enrolled in the school referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied have been facilitated with catchment boundary transport to another post primary centre. It has recently been established, however, that the pick-up for these pupils was located within the catchment area in which they reside. This is contrary to the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme. As a result, the pick-up point was changed by Bus Éireann to a point that is now within the catchment area being attended.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to her response to Question No. 491 of 4 November 2005, if her Department has received an up-to-date report from Bus Éireann with regard to the need for a school bus service to be provided to students (details supplied) in County Kildare; if this report has been received, the findings of same, if the report will change her Department's position regarding the provision of this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38295/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An up-to-date report has been received from Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. In its report Bus Éireann has again confirmed that the pupils in question are availing of a public schedule service of good standard to the school concerned. It reported that the relevant set down and collection points for the service are located 200 metres and 500 metres, respectively from the school with a footpath along the route concerned and pedestrian lights available where pupils need to cross the road to the collection point in the afternoons.

Regarding the use of the service by younger pupils, Bus Éireann has again pointed out that this would be on the basis of the general arrangements in place for pupils availing of public scheduled services in the greater Dublin area. On the basis of Bus Éireann's most recent findings, there are no plans to change the current transport arrangements in place in respect of the pupils concerned.