John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 149 of 12 April 2011, if he will now ensure that the families located at a location (details supplied) in County Kilkenny are collected at their homes as was the case, in view of the fact that this would be a sensible minor adjustment to the designated route and would accommodate a greater number of students who require the service; if a Bus Éireann inspector will examine the proposal and the route as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9008/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for matters such as the planning of bus routes, the timetabling of services and the designation of pick up and set down points in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, pupils have a reasonable level of service consistent with school transport policy while at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner.

As a rule, post primary school transport routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Parents/guardians have a responsibility to ensure that their children are brought safely to and collected safely from designated pick up and set down points.

Bus Éireann has advised that the family referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied in the original question live within 1.8 kilometres from a pick up point on the route of a service to the school in question. As the family has a level of service within guidelines, it is not proposed to alter the current arrangements.