Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will extend the existing primary school bus service to persons (details supplied). [36125/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of the Primary School Transport scheme pupils are eligible for school transport if they reside 3.2 kilometres or more from and are attending their nearest national school, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Schemes on behalf of my Department, has advised that not all the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied are eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme. Furthermore, Bus Éireann has advised that an extension to the existing service is not feasible as the road in question is unsuitable for the vehicle operating the service to this school. I understand that the families of eligible pupils, for whom there is no school transport service available, have been offered a remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.