Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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380. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will put funding in place for a morning ferry to transport school children from Sherkin Island to Baltimore (details supplied). [41419/16]

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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381. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will arrange that second level students living on Sherkin Island, West Cork, have their ferry fares incorporated into their school bus ticket as is the case with students on other islands. [41420/16]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 381 together.

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Currently in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

The timetabling of ferry services is a matter for agreement between the Islanders and the ferry operator. Charges levied by the ferry operator are agreed with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs which subsidises this passenger service. I understand that there was no charge for children using the ferry service in question.