Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 723: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that children from Caherconlish in County Limerick have right of entry to no second level school in Limerick city or county and that as a consequence they may not avail of free school transport to any school; the steps she will take to end this anomalous situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11454/08]

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 to the nearest pick-uppoint within that catchment area.

Children from Caherconlish in County Limerick who enrol in schools in Limerick City or County will have their applications for school transport assessed in accordance with the terms of the scheme. The parents of these children should liaise with the relevant Transport Liaison Officers regarding their eligibility for school transport.