Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 500 of 3 October 2006, if the transport liaison officer for County Clare has carried out his report (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36811/06]

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 local post-primary centre have been catered for. Such children are required to make their way to the nearest pick-up point within that catchment area.

My Department has been informed by the Transport Liaison Officer for County Clare that the students referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied have applied for catchment boundary transport. My Department also understands that there are no spare seats available on the relevant transport service to accommodate these students. However, as the position with regard to spare seats may change from term to term, the parent/students should keep in touch with the local Bus Éireann office in this regard.