Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 109. 110, 111 and 112, inclusive, of 16 December 2010, if she will acknowledge that the changed system will greatly reduce the number of pupils attending certain schools (details supplied); if she will review the changes in order to ensure that such schools will not be damaged in this way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1065/11]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education and Skills assesses school accommodation needs in each area based on local demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet demand for places.

As I outlined in my previous reply of 16 December, from the beginning of the 2011/2012 school year, as an initial step following changes in relation to school transport arising from a Value for Money Review of School Transport, which were announced in the 2011 budget, the distance criteria will be applied to all pupils attending primary schools and the exemption under the closed school rule will cease. This means that children categorised for transport under the CSR who reside less than 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) from the school of attendance and who are availing of free transport to that school under the CSR will lose transport eligibility.

All remaining children in this category, who meet requisite distance criteria, will continue to retain school transport eligibility. A sample survey undertaken as part of the Value for Money Review on transport arrangements for pupils availing of transport under the CSR showed that the majority of pupils are in fact attending their nearest open school. This survey did not include the areas identified by the Deputy. In cases where the school of attendance is not the nearest school, these pupils will continue to retain school transport eligibility until they complete their education at that school. Transitional school transport arrangements will therefore remain in place for a reducing number of pupils over a maximum period of seven years until this group of children have all completed their primary education.

From the 2012/2013 school year, full implementation of the change will mean eligibility based on the closed school rule and the central school rule will cease nationally for all new children entering primary schools.

The detailed arrangements for the 2011/2012 school year in the areas identified by the Deputy can only be established when the applications for transport are made and considered.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 182: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 109, 110, 111 and 112, inclusive, of 16 December 2010, if she will acknowledge that the new system will reduce the numbers of students travelling on certain school buses to below the 10 pupil threshold; if she will explain the way in which she will transport these students to school when this arises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1066/11]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Changes in relation to school transport, arising from the Value for Money Review of School Transport, were announced in the 2011 budget. These changes include, with effect from the 2011/2012 school year, the application of the distance criteria to all pupils attending primary schools and the ceasing of the exemption under the closed school rule which as a consequence will mean that pupils residing less than 3.2 kms from the school of attendance will lose their transport eligibility, discontinuation of services under the revised minimum number of eligible pupils (10) and the pick up density of eligible pupils residing in a distinct locality required to establish a school transport service will increase from 7 to 10. With effect from the 2012/2013 school year, eligibility based on the closed school rule will cease for all new primary children entering primary schools and the catchment boundary system will cease for all new post primary children. These changes will mean that there will be a reduction in the number of eligible pupils in 2011 as a result of the application of the distance criteria for all primary pupils and there will also be a reduction in the number of school buses arising from the changes in the minimum numbers. As is currently the position, families of eligible pupils who meet the distance eligibility criteria under the terms of the school transport scheme, but for whom there is no suitable school transport service available, will continue to be eligible to apply for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 109, 110, 111 and 112 of 16 December 2010, her views on the fact that the new system will effectively shut down school transport services in the medium term in view of the fact that families with children currently availing of bus transport services under the closed school rule and with children who will not commence primary school until 2013, will not pay €110 per annum to send their older children to school by bus when they will be transporting the younger children to school privately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1067/11]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The new system the Deputy is referring to is the ceasing of the Closed School Rule (CSR) for school transport eligibility purposes for new pupils entering at primary level.

I advised the Deputy in my previous reply in December that from the beginning of the 2011/2012 school year, as an initial step, the distance criteria will be applied to all pupils attending primary schools and that the exemption under the closed school rule will cease. This means that pupils categorised for transport under the CSR who reside less than 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) from the school of attendance and who are availing of free transport to that school under the CSR will lose transport eligibility.

The remaining pupils in this category, who meet the requisite distance criteria and whose numbers will be diminishing annually over a maximum period of seven years, will continue to retain school transport eligibility until they complete their education at their school of attendance.

From the 2012/2013 school year, full implementation of the change will mean eligibility based on the closed school rule and the central school rule will cease for all new children entering primary schools.

There is no evidence to suggest that the new system will effectively close down school transport services in the medium term. Survey work undertaken as part of the school transport value for money review showed that the majority of pupils categorised under the closed school rule are in fact attending their nearest school.

This rule, which has remained fundamentally unchanged since 1968, has perpetuated a system where a cohort of pupils are deemed eligible for transport where the distance criterion of 3.2kms is not met or the school of attendance is not their nearest. I acknowledge that some families will be affected by the fact that older siblings will be eligible for transport to the amalgamated school while siblings newly entering primary schools will be assessed for transport eligibility to their nearer open school but this practical effect would occur at whatever point in time this rule was ceased.

This change means that the distance criteria will be applied equitably nationally and that consistency will be introduced in relation to planning for school places which is already based on local demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet demand for places. In the case of all future primary school amalgamations, eligibility for school transport will be based on distance from and attendance at the nearest school, as determined by my Department.