Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will sanction an extension of a school bus service (details supplied) to accommodate students attending a gaelscoil in County Clare. [8079/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme, on behalf of my Department, has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, reside between 18.2 kilometres and 23.5 kilometres from the school in question. Bus Éireann further advises that the pupils can avail of a service which has a pick up point between 7.9 kilometres and 12.1 kilometres from their homes. Under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme, my Department is prepared to offer the families a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of arranging transport to the pick up point.

The planning and organising of school bus routes is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. Bus routes are planned in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable standard of service while at the same time ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient manner. Bus Eireann have advised that the service in question cannot be extended to provide a more convenient pick up point as the travel and waiting times of other pupils on the route would be adversely affected.