Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to those children who have been denied school transport because they are not attending their nearest school for reason beyond their control, such as bullying issues or their nearest school not being able to offer the support that the child might need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43673/12]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Schemes children are eligible for transport where they meet the distance eligibility criterion and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only in accordance with the terms of the schemes.

In relation to the issue of bullying, responsibility for tackling bullying falls to the level of the individual school.

Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, all schools are required to have in place a Code of Behaviour and this code must be drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). The NEWB guidelines make it clear that each school must have policies to prevent or address bullying and harassment and schools must make clear in their code of behaviour that bullying is unacceptable. The guidelines further state that as well as making explicit that bullying is prohibited in the school, and having an anti-bullying policy, the code of behaviour should indicate what action the school will take in relation to alleged breaches of the school's bullying policy.