Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 547: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a bus service will be re-routed for a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32096/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann has advised my Department that it has not received an application for an extension to the route referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. The parents should contact the local Bus Éireann office.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to the ongoing difficulties regarding catchment area in Blackwater, County Wexford, the reason on 21 November 2005 and 22 June 2006 her Department issued a 1916 map as the definitive map to the vocational educational committee and the Ombudsman for Children; the reason on 11 January 2006 and in May 2006 her Department issued a 1978 map as the definitive map under the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and the Ombudsman for children; and the reason in May 2006 her Department instructed the VEC to obtain a different map mentioned as the definitive map. [32099/06]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 550: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason her Department having overruled the TLO of County Wexford and the use of the catchment area map that has been used for 38 years, then failed to provide the TLO with a valid reason for overruling the decision and the use of the map; the further reason her Department instructed the TLO of County Wexford to obtain a map from Bus Éireann and replace the vocational educational committee catchment area map with this map; the way in which her Department could approve the use of maps that corresponding boundaries do not match, local areas are shown in two catchments and local areas are shown in no catchments; and the reason the maps that have always been in use to determine transport eligibility in County Wexford have been changed or replaced. [32101/06]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason, when her Department refused transport to 23 children from Blackwater, County Wexford on the basis of a map retained in the county TLO's office, her Department then instructed the TLO to use a different map to the map issued to the Ombudsman under a freedom of information request and further referred to as the catchment area map held in her Department which is the definitive map, in the Dáil Éireann Debate of 22 November 2005 and in parliamentary questions of 26 and 31 January 2006 and 9 and 15 February 2006; the further reason the TLO of County Wexford was instructed to use a different map to the map referred to as the catchment area map held within her Department which is the definitive map to determine eligibility when the independent board of appeals ruled on the maps held within her Department. [32102/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 548, 550 and 551 together.

Under the terms of the Department of Education and Science Post Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if he or she resides 4.8 kilometres or more from his or her 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 own post primary centre have been catered for. Such children have to make their own way to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area.

Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post primary education in the late 1960's. For planning purposes, the country was divided into geographic districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post primary education centre with one or more post primary schools. The intention was that these defined districts would facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs. They also facilitated the provision of a national school transport service, enabling children from remote areas to get to their nearest school.

Reviews of specific catchment boundaries may be carried out where appropriate. A number of reviews have been carried out over the years where, for example a new post primary school is established in an area where previously there was none or, conversely, where a "sole provider" school closes due to declining enrolment.

The Deputy should understand that, irrespective of the dates on the maps, eligibility for school transport at post-primary level is determined by way of distance from home to the education centre in the catchment area in which a pupil resides. A catchment area is defined within a boundary line on a map.

The Deputy will be aware, also, that a number of families from the Blackwater area lodged an appeal to the Independent School Transport Appeals Board against my Department's decision not to categorise their children as fully eligible for school transport to the Wexford post primary education centre. The Board upheld my Department's decision in the matter.

The School Transport Appeals Board is independent of my Department and it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in cases which have been considered by the Board.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 549: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a number of children from Blackwater, County Wexford have been refused school transport. [32100/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the Department of Education and Science Post Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if he or she resides 4.8 kilometres or more from his or her 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 own post primary centre have been catered for. Such children have to make their own way to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area. The Deputy should provide the names and addresses of the pupils concerned to the Transport Liaison Officer for County Wexford who will advise on their eligibility for school transport.