Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will deal with correspondence (details supplied) and ensure that reasonable proposals contained therein are facilitated and put in place in order to accommodate at no additional cost the children concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33307/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has requested the Transport Liaison Officer for County Westmeath to submit a report on the proposals referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she will take to have the correspondence relating to the provision of a school bus ticket for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath dealt with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33308/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, only eligible children qualify for free transport. In order to be eligible, children must live 3.2 kilometres or more from, and be attending, their nearest national school. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport Service on behalf of my Department, has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied is not eligible for free transport but may apply for transport on a concessionary fare paying basis. I should also point out that concessionary transport is not guaranteed. Pupils availing of such transport may only do so if spare seats are available on the school buses and this is determined on a term-to-term basis by reference to those who are fully eligible for transport under the terms of the school transport scheme.