Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 497: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a second bus cannot be provided at 3:35 p.m. to transport children from a school (details supplied) in County Mayo similar to the service provided in the mornings when two buses are available as this is causing major problems for the students involved. [6344/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department. Over 134,000 children are carried each day on school transport to primary and post-primary schools. It is a major logistical operation which involves the planning of bus routes in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable level of service while, at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and effective manner.

In general a school transport service is organised to ensure the maximum travel and waiting time does not exceed 2.5 hours. The school transport service referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, is operating within the guidelines of the school transport scheme.