Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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254. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there was a change in the timetable of the bus collecting children from a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow without consultation with parents; that the changes have resulted in the students aged between 14-17 waiting unsupervised for up to an hour for the bus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45745/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.

Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 3.2 kms to or from a pick-up/set down point or to have travel and waiting times in excess of 2.5 hours per day. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.

Bus Éireann has advised that the school in question changed their opening and closing times for this school year and this resulted in a change to the school transport provision.

All eligible children can still avail of a school transport service within the guidelines outlined above.