Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in County Donegal and across the State that are affected by the decision to renege on the historical commitment by his Department to small rural communities across this State, known as the closed school rule. [19761/11]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in County Donegal and across this State affected by the decision in the last budget to cut school transport on certain routes, increase the mileage or kilometres from school eligibility criterion for school transport and introduce new charges to families for school transport in rural communities. [19774/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 185 together.

Changes to the Primary School Transport Scheme were announced by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from recommendations in the Value for Money review of the scheme. The decisions announced include the uniform application of the distance eligibility criterion, the cessation of the Closed/Central School Rule (CSR), an increase in the minimum number of eligible children required to establish or retain a service and the introduction of charges for eligible primary pupils.

In the case of the CSR there are broadly two aspects to this change. The first of these, which will be implemented from September 2011, involves the uniform application of the distance eligibility criterion to all children travelling under the Primary School Transport Scheme, including those travelling under the CSR. The practical impact is that children categorised for transport under the CSR who reside less than 3.2 kilometres from their school of attendance and who are availing of free transport to that school will lose their transport eligibility. In such cases, these children may apply for concessionary transport subject to the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Schemes on behalf of my Department, has advised that 63 schools in Donegal and 410 nationally will be affected by this change.

The second element of the change is scheduled to take effect in September 2012 and will apply only in the case of children commencing their primary education from that date. This second element will restrict school transport eligibility to children who meet the distance eligibility criterion and who are travelling to their nearest school. A sample survey undertaken as part of the Value for Money Review showed that the majority of pupils are in fact attending their nearest open school, so this change will not have any practical impact on these pupils.

A further change which will take effect in September 2011 is the increase from 7 to 10 in the number of eligible pupils, residing in a distinct locality, required to retain or establish a school transport service. In general, this means that the minimum number required to establish or retain a service broadly represents a return to 2002 levels. As is currently the position, a Remote Area Grant is payable for eligible children for whom no transport service is available. This change will affect 7 schools in Donegal and over 120 schools nationally.

An annual charge for eligible primary pupils will be introduced from the commencement of the 2011/12 school year. This charge is set at €50 per pupil with a maximum family charge of €110 for primary pupils. The charge of €50 represents some 5% recoupment of the actual cost. Pupils with valid medical cards will be exempt from this charge. This charge is being introduced to ensure that school transport services are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner.

It is essential to stress that the wider context within which all these changes are taking place, is a situation of the most serious financial difficulties. Under the four year recovery plan, there is a requirement to deliver savings of €17 million on the school transport budget and these measures are an integral part of this.