John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 483: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that the Bus Éireann service to a school (details supplied) in County Sligo is extended to cover the village of Coolaney; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22783/10]

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.

The Transport Liaison Officer of Co. Sligo has advised that pupils from the Coolaney area do not reside in the catchment area referred to in the details supplied and therefore may only apply for catchment boundary transport subject to the terms outlined above.

As the Deputy is aware, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, the review of the catchment boundaries formed part of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme.

The report of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme is being finalised.