Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 576: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be picked up at an alternative location for the school bus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33948/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's Post-Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for school transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which s/he resides. 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 will have to make their way either to the catchment boundary or to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area. My Department has requested the Transport Liaison Officer (TLO) for County Clare to investigate the eligibility status of the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. The Deputy may wish to contact the TLO directly regarding the names and addresses of the other eight students although it appears that they are only eligible for transport on a concessionary basis from the catchment boundary. However, when all of the relevant information is available the TLO will be in a position to advise further on the matter.