Written answers

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

Department of Education and Science

School Transport

9:00 pm

Photo of John O'MahonyJohn O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the revision will be completed and published for the school bus catchment areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13718/09]

Photo of John O'MahonyJohn O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a submission was received from an area (details supplied) in County Mayo to be included in the revision of the school bus catchments; if this will be included in the new plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13719/09]

Photo of Seán HaugheySeán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take questions 180 and 181 together.

The Steering Committee to oversee the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, including catchment boundaries, has been established. The aim is to complete the review by the end of 2009. The Steering Committee is looking at the original objectives of the scheme, whether these objectives remain valid today, the extent to which the objectives are being achieved and whether there are possibilities for economies or efficiencies that would improve the value for money of the scheme. In this context, the review will also look at fundamental issues such as catchment boundaries which is in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government.

The Steering Committee has invited submissions to assist with its deliberations. These submissions, and the views of all those individuals and groups which made submissions previously to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science in relation to catchment boundaries, will be taken into account as part of the review. The review is being carried out as part of the 2009-2011 round of Value for Money Reviews approved by Government and, when completed, will be published and submitted to the Oireachtas Select Committee on Education and Science.

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