asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to improve and expand the school transport scheme to both primary and post-primary schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport.
83.
The suitability of the conditions governing the free transport scheme for pupils of primary and post-primary schools is a matter which I have constantly under review. I am at present considering examining whether anything can be done to extend the operation of the scheme so that all eligible primary school children will have a service available to them. An important consideration to be taken into account in connection with any improvement or expansion of the school transport system is, of course, that of cost; under the conditions at present applying, the annual cost in State grants for school transport is £5.5 million.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary see to it that where a garsún has free transport, ordnance engineers or surveyors will not arrive and put him off the bus because he is a fraction of a mile inside the limit?
If the Deputy can give me information about the activities of ordnance engineers in this area I should be very glad to see what I could do about the matter.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say if, in view of the proposed CIE increases, he intends increasing the subsidy for city school children?
There is another question on that matter. Perhaps the Deputy would check the Order Paper.