John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will investigate the changes to the school bus service from Goresbridge, County Kilkenny to schools in Kilkenny City to ensure that the arrangements which were in place and which suited parents are re-instated; if in the case of persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny the arrangement whereby both travelled on the same bus will be re-instated; if she will expedite a positive resolution to the issues raised by parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12594/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Transport Liaison Officer (TLO) for County Kilkenny informed my Department that the pupils referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy reside in the Goresbridge/Borris catchment area. 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 is 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 own way either to the catchment boundary or to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area.

The parents of the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied should liaise with the TLO for County Kilkenny regarding eligibility for school transport to the post-primary centre mentioned in the details.