Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if it is permissible for a child to utilise the school bus ticket funded by their parents to avail of a scheduled Bus Éireann service before 6 p.m. on evenings when they remain at school to participate in a homework club; if such arrangements were permissible in the past; if a policy change has been made in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36419/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann is responsible for the day to day operation of school transport services throughout the country. This is a complex national operation operating during each school year supporting in the region of 75,000 post primary pupils, 52,000 primary and 8,000 special needs pupils. The majority of pupils are allocated a reserved seat on a dedicated contracted service with approximately 9,000 pupils, generally residing in urban areas and environs, using regular public transport services where these exist. A separate payment is made by the Department in respect of those pupils travelling on such regular transport services.

Children travelling under the school transport scheme on either dedicated school transport services or general public scheduled services are provided with seats to and from schools. This arrangement enables children to attend classes during normal school hours. A school transport ticket is not a general commuter ticket that is valid on all regular public transport services at all times and it is not offered as such. Given the numbers being transported nationally, it would not be possible without incurring additional expenditure to offer the flexibility to all eligible pupils to travel on the regular public transport services, other than in accordance with the terms specified on their tickets.