Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 115: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the changes to the school transport scheme introduced as part of budget 2011 that have placed an additional burden on working families in rural communities. [10260/11]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 116: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will honour his historical commitment under the closed school rule to families in some rural communities and reverse the plans announced in budget 2011. [10261/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together.

The changes to school transport services were announced in the 2011 Budget by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from a recommendation in the recently published Value for Money Review of the scheme. Given the major financial constraints facing the country, I regret that I cannot reverse the changes to school transport as announced by the previous government. We all have to understand the legacy of economic mismanagement which the last Government gave to the country.