Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school transport routes that will be affected after September by the changes in the school transport scheme. [20411/11]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school transport routes in counties Limerick and Kerry that will be affected after September by the changes in the school transport scheme. [20413/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together.

Changes in the 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. I take it the Deputy is referring to the increase in the minimum number of eligible children required to establish or retain a school transport service.

Bus Éireann, which operates the Scheme on behalf of my Department has identified over 120 services nationally, with some 550 eligible children, where applications from eligible children have fallen below the minimum required. Six of these services are in Limerick and a further six are in Kerry. Bus Éireann are monitoring the situation and these figures may change if late applications are received or current applicants do not purchase tickets.

It should be noted that over 123,000 pupils on 6,000 routes availed of school transport services in the 2010/11 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.