Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 477: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will sanction the bus tickets to children (details supplied) in County Limerick waiting for same to allow them to avail of school transport from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25165/07]

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.

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 have to make their own way to the nearest pick up point within that catchment area.

The Transport Liaison Officer for Co. Limerick and Bus Éireann have advised that the transport service under the school transport scheme is operating to capacity. The families in question should continue to liaise with Bus Éireann regarding the availability of catchment boundary seats in the future.

My Department is aware, since the phasing out of the three for two seating arrangement on school buses, that vacant seats, where they arise, are now more conspicuous than heretofore. It is a matter of concern that some parents would reserve seats for their children and then not make full use of these seats.

In circumstances where a complaint of this nature is received, Bus Éireann arranges to monitor the situation. Those who are identified as using the school transport services on an irregular basis can be asked to surrender their tickets and make alternative transport arrangements, in order to allow their seats to be reallocated to other families in accordance with the terms of the school transport schemes. Bus Éireann rely on the cooperation and goodwill of parents to release seats for the benefit of others in these circumstances.

If the Deputy has precise information which may assist in identifying those who appear not to be using their seats on a regular basis, my Department will be pleased to have the matter investigated.