Beverley Flynn (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 837: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school transport route can be extended to facilitate a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [9996/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, 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 at least 3.2 kilometres from, and be attending, their nearest national school.

The position in this case is that the family referred to by the Deputy resides 1.92 kms from the school mentioned in the details supplied and therefore are not eligible for school transport.

However, children who do not qualify for free transport on distance grounds may be allowed to travel as concessionary fare-payers. This may be allowed subject to the condition that there are spare seats available after all fully eligible children have been catered for, and provided there is no extra State cost involved by way of altering or extending the route of the service or by providing an additional or larger bus. The family should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office regarding this matter.

My Department has forwarded an Application Form to the family which should be completed and returned for the child who is seeking transport on medical grounds. The application will then be sent to my Department's medical adviser for approval in the normal way.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 839: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly where a transport grant was withdrawn; if she is applying the arbitrary criteria of above 90 as a means of deciding eligibility for transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9998/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Section of my Department has no record of receiving an application for transport through the appropriate channels for the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. Therefore, the question of paying a grant does not arise.