asked the Minister for Education if he will take the necessary action to ensure that bus fares for school children will not be increased by up to 50 per cent as has been proposed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Children's Bus Fares.
9.
The fares increases authorised by the Government in respect of CIE public services apply to all categories of travellers, including school children. Less than 4 per cent of fare-paying school children will be required to pay more than an extra 1p per journey.
The Parliamentary Secretary has not adverted to the fact that the 1p increase for school children in many cases, and particularly in this city, does represent a 50 per cent increase. Whereas we were appalled by the 33? per cent increase, it is 50 per cent as far as school children are concerned.
In the case of the minimum fare, that was the case, an increase from 2p to 3p, but in no other case is the increase 50 per cent.
The Parliamentary Secretary is in no way sympathetic to the situation in which school children are faced with paying 50 per cent more this week than before.
The simple fact is that to ensure that no increase took place in school children's fares would have involved an extra subvention of £463,000.
Surely with all the millions that are scattered around, the extra £400,000 talked about is no more than pin money and should not be held against these people.
I do not accept the contention of the Deputy.