John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 543: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason, in 2005, the school transport pick-up point was moved from Ballindine Cross, Hollymount, County Mayo to a location known as The Big Tree and subsequently to a point almost two miles away, off the main road, called Lehinch School; and if it is envisaged that the school transport pick-up point will be restored to Hollymount village which was the original pick-up point in order to facilitate the 95% of pupils who attend Claremorris schools. [17119/07]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from her/his local post primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which s/he lives.

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 have to make their own way either to the catchment boundary or to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area.Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department have advised that the current pick up point is the nearest suitable location within the Claremorris catchment area.