Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 198: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that a school transport service is provided to primary school pupils (details supplied) from Johnstown, County Kildare (details supplied). [32513/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest national school as determined by my Department are eligible for free school transport.

The position in this case is that the pupils referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy are not attending their nearest national school and therefore are not eligible for free school transport.

It is open to pupils who are not attending their nearest school to apply for concessionary transport to the school which they are attending. Concessionary transport is offered subject to a number of terms and conditions, including the availability of spare seating on an existing service.

In this case, Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that there are no spare seats on the existing service.