Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 408: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her response to correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30349/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the Primary School Transport scheme pupils are eligible for free transport if they reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest national school or school of amalgamation. In the case of amalgamations, pupils residing in a closed school area may be deemed eligible to the school of amalgamation only.

Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, have advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, reside in a closed school area and are not attending their school of amalgamation and therefore, are not eligible for free school transport. Pupils may avail of transport to a school other than the amalgamated school on a concessionary basis. Such an arrangement would be subject to spare seats being available on the service, the agreement of the school of amalgamation being obtained and no additional State costs being incurred by way of re-routing the service.

The parents of the pupils referred to by the Deputy should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office to establish whether their children may avail of concessionary fare-paying transport on the foregoing terms. As the Deputy is aware, School Transport was approved by Government as a topic for inclusion as part of the 2009-2011 round of Value for Money Reviews.

This review 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 is also looking at fundamental issues such as eligibility criteria and the closed school rule, with a view to achieving efficiencies and value for money in the Scheme. The report of the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme is currently being finalised.