Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills, following the transfer of the role of transport liaison officer from the vocational education committees to Bus Éireann, if he will confirm which body is now responsible for setting the annual fare for the school transport system. [36084/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Decisions on school transport charges are made by my Department in consultation with the Department of Finance as part of the annual budgetary process. The cessation of the role of the Transport Liaison Officer will have no impact on the matter.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students negatively affected by changes to the rules for transport catchment areas. [36085/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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From the commencement of the 2012/13 school year, the use of the Catchment Boundary Area (CB) System as a means of determining eligibility will cease for all pupils newly entering post primary school. This means that from the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for all pupils newly entering a post primary school will be determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest post-primary education centre having regard to ethos and language.

This change was announced as part of Budget 2011 but is not being introduced until the 2012/13 school year in order to allow parents of children newly entering post primary school ample time to consider their school choice options, taking account of the revised school transport eligibility arrangements. At post-primary level, the evidence is, as set out in the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Schemes, that the majority of children are attending their nearest post primary school/centre.