Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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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 Value for Money Review of the scheme. These changes include the requirement that a minimum of ten eligible pupils residing in a distinct locality will be required to retain or establish a school transport service from 2011-12 school year. As is currently the position, families of eligible pupils for whom there is no school transport service available may apply for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. Decisions in relation to the retention or establishment of school transport services will be made when all applications for school transport for the 2011-12 school year have been received and assessed.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the agreement that was entered into with national schools in 1967-68 under what has become known as the closed school rule; if this agreement is or was legally binding; if he will provide full details of same; under the recent review of schools where sample schools were picked if he will provide the location and name of all the schools that were studied; if any of these schools are under threat at present because of changes in the closed school rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13907/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the cessation of the Closed School Rule (CSR) as it relates to primary school transport eligibility was announced in the 2011 Budget by the previous Fianna Fáil–Green Party Government and derives from a recommendation in the published Value for Money Review of the scheme. Given the major financial constraints facing the country, it is not possible to change the decision announced by the previous Government. This change to the CSR is scheduled to take effect in September 2012 and will apply only in the case of pupils commencing their primary education from that date.

Available statistics, based on sampling undertaken as part of the Value for Money Review, indicate that the impact of this change will be limited as the majority of pupils categorised under the closed school rule are in fact attending their nearest school. Given the timeframe for the review, this sample of schools was randomly selected and the findings were then aggregated nationally. As I have stated on many occasions recently, before implementing this change which is proposed for 2012, my Department has requested Bus Éireann to conduct a detailed analysis of the "on the ground" impact for individual schools and the rural communities they serve. This analysis will be based on the most up-to-date information available on current school transport usage patterns. I expect to have this information available to me this summer.