Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the present primary school transport scheme was established; when it was last reviewed; if she has plans to conduct a review of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11060/08]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the distance a person has to live from a school in order to be eligible for school transport under the primary school transport scheme; if she has plans to reduce this distance in an effort to fill buses and thus reduce congestion in towns and villages at school time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11065/08]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the present catchment boundaries for the secondary school transport system were established; when they were last reviewed; if she has plans to conduct a review of the system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11066/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 to 151, inclusive, together.

The school transport scheme was established in the late 1960s. From the outset, the purpose of the scheme was to ensure access to primary and post-primary education for children who, because of where they live, might have difficulty in attending school regularly. At primary level, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest suitable school, as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. At post-primary level, eligibility is based on both distance and residence in a particular catchment area. These areas have their origin in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s. The relevant minimum distance is 4.8 kilometres. Transport services for both primary and post-primary children are co-ordinated and transport routes are planned and shared in such a way as to provide the most efficient and cost-effective service. In addition to mainstream services, my Department endeavours to provide suitable transport for pupils with special needs attending special schools and special classes and those in integrated settings.

School transport, or aspects of the school transport service, have been the subject of a number of reviews, including a Report carried out by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science in 1999. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to review the school transport system, including catchment boundaries. My Department is currently developing proposals for progressing this commitment and the intention is to make substantial progress during the current year.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the charge levied per term for secondary school transport for students in both the junior and senior cycles; if she has plans to reduce these charges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11067/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The charges payable by post-primary pupils availing of school transport services are €33 per term at junior cycle and €51 per term at senior cycle. These charges have not been increased since 1998. In view of the significant increase in the cost of providing school transport in the interim, it has been decided that revised charges will be introduced with effect from the final term of the current school year, which begins after Easter 2008. The revised term charges at junior and senior cycle will be €46 and €71, respectively, which equate to about 83 cent and €1.28 per day. A maximum family contribution of €150 per term will apply. I should point out that the term charge may be waived in the case of eligible post-primary children where the family is in possession of a valid medical card.