asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the lack of transport for the schoolchildren of the Keenagh area, Ballina, County Mayo; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transport for Mayo Schoolchildren.
51.
A State grant is being paid towards the cost of a transport service for the conveyance to Keenagh national school of children residing in the Bunaveela, Leena, Lettertrask and Fiddaune districts.
An application was made recently for a grant for the conveyance to the school of children residing at Keenaghbeg, which is in the opposite direction from the school. According to information supplied by the Manager, there is only one family with children of schoolgoing age in that district. As the necessary conditions for the establishment of a transport service for their conveyance to school have not been fulfilled, a grant for this purpose would not be warranted.
Is the Minister aware that this particular family have to go a very long distance to school, across the bog, and over very bad roads? Could not some arrangement be entered into whereby this family could be taken to school, the same as other families in the neighbourhood? Can the Minister not do something about it, or does he expect people to migrate, and to clear out of the area, thus creating more emigration?
I think the Deputy will realise that if provision were to be made in a case such as this, one would need to provide transport for all the national school children in the country.
What about it? Is the Minister aware that the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries came down to Foxford and told us, as he did in other parts of the country, that all these problems would be looked after? Now we are told they cannot be looked after. Are we to go back home and tell the people that the Minister is not interested?
This is not a question; it is a speech.
I am sure the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries did not tell the people of Foxford that transport would be provided for each family.
He said so many things that I thought he included that.