Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 619: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to a problem regarding pupils attending schools (details supplied) in County Galway as a result of a change in the timetable for the collecting and transport of students under the school bus scheme which inconveniences many students; that as a result of the rescheduling of the timetable some children will be left unsupervised for an hour and 15 minutes while waiting for a bus and that children are picked up at Barrack Street, which is approximately a ten minute walk from the school and there is no shelter there for pupils in bad weather; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the public library can only cater for ten students; that parents are concerned about their children being unsupervised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32486/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department. Routes are planned in such a way to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable standard of service, while at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective manner. My Department has been advised by Bus Éireann and the Transport Liaison Officer for County Galway that the combined travel and waiting times for the eligible pupils referred to by the Deputy are within the general guidelines of the School Transport Scheme, namely two hours and 15 minutes.

The central set-down point is a feature of the Post-Primary School Transport Scheme and is in operation in several towns where there is more than one post-primary school. In towns where the central point feature is operated, post-primary pupils are dropped at the central point and are expected to make their own way to the schools. In this instance, the distances from the central point to the schools referred to by the Deputy are 0.16 km and 0.32 km. In the circumstances, it is proposed to maintain the current arrangements for those pupils.