Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason and rationale for the doubling of school transport fees for the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20091/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The annual charges for school transport services are being increased from the first term of the 2009/10 school year as follows:

Eligible post-primary pupils (junior) from €168 to €300 (78% increase)Eligible post-primary pupils (senior) from €234 to €300 (28% increase)Concessionary post-primary pupils from €234 to €300 (28% increase)Concessionary primary pupils from €120 to €200 (66% increase)Maximum family charge from €495 to €650 (31% increase).

The cost of school transport in 2009 is now estimated to be €192m. However, this still represents a significant increase of over €82m (over 75%) since 2004, up from €109.8m. Costs in school transport have been increasing arising from a range of issues. These include the phasing out of the 3 for 2 seating arrangement on both primary and post-primary services and the addition of a considerable number of vehicles to address capacity shortfalls arising from the decision to provide each child with an individual seat and the equipping of all dedicated school buses with safety belts. Increases in rates for private contractors in the 2000-2007 period and increased demands to meet the needs of special needs children and parental choice of school have also impacted on school transport costs.

I wish to point out that, despite the escalating costs of the service, charges for school transport had not been increased from 1998 until the third school term in the 2007/08 school year. A further increase was put in place at the start of the 2008/09 school year. The total contribution of charges from parents in 2009 will still only represent about 8.6% of the overall expenditure for school transport.

In the overall context and in order to minimise the overall effects, these charge increases have been confined to the 55,000 eligible post-primary and children availing of concessionary transport. Charges continue to be waived in the case of eligible post-primary children where the family is in possession of a valid medical card (or over 22,500). Eligible children attending primary schools and children with special needs (or about 54,500 children) will still travel free. A maximum family rate of €650 will also be applied.

Parents are also being given the option of spreading the amount due over two payments payable in July and December 2009. Those who pay the full annual charge, in advance, will benefit from a ticket being issued for the school year and this includes pupils on concessionary travel.

My Department has also commenced a Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme which is to be completed before the end of the year.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the way an area (details supplied) in County Kildare can extend the school bus boundary limit in view of the number of children resident in the area who will require school transport in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19585/09]

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. In general, catchment boundary tickets are issued on a first come, first served basis.

My Department has commenced a Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, including catchment boundaries, which is to be completed before the end of this year.

The Steering Committee will look 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.

The review, when completed, will be published and submitted to the Oireachtas Select Committee on Education and Science.