Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2006

Department of Education and Science

School Transport

8:00 pm

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 740: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she proposes to review the post-primary school transport routes, catchment areas and boundaries in view of various anomalies and demographic changes in post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10178/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s. For planning purposes, the country was divided into geographic districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. It was intended that the defined districts would facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs and the provision of a national school transport service, enabling children from remote areas to get to their nearest school. I do not propose a general nationwide review of catchment boundaries. While the service has been developed over the years to take account of linguistic and denominational considerations in school choice, it was never intended that such choice would be unlimited. It is clear that the cost of operating such a scheme would be unsustainable, especially in the context of competing demands, including the major safety programme that the Department of Education and Science is implementing at present. A review of catchment boundaries may be appropriate if, for example, a new post-primary school is established in an area where previously there was none or, conversely, if a "sole provider" school closes due to declining enrolment. While it is reasonable for parents to exercise educational choice, expectation as to the extent to which that choice can be facilitated must be tempered with realism. To revise boundaries to provide school transport for pupils to their school of choice would not be appropriate.

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