asked the Minister for Education if he will arrange for free transport to Crookstown National School, County Kildare, for a five-year-old child (name supplied).
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport Service.
32.
Since this child lives at a distance of under two miles from Ballyshannon national school, his nearest school, it is not open to my Department to allow him transport facilities to Crookstown national school.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this child lived originally in the Ballymount national school catchment area and when the Ballymount national school was amalgamated with Crookstown school a promise was given that pupils in that area would be carried to Crookstown school and that this is not now being honoured? Has the Parliamentary Secretary examined the information I placed at his disposal that the child's home is now with his grandmother and not with his mother who had been ill? Has he given those matters consideration in his answer?
The child's immediate parents' home is 1.3 miles from Ballyshannon national school and 5.4 miles from Crookstown national school. I understand that the home of the grandmother where the child is residing is only 1.8 miles from Ballyshannon. I presume it is equidistance from Crookstown as was the parental home. The Deputy will see that this child is definitely in the Ballyshannon national school catchment area.
I have taught in Ballyshannon and I know the area. I also know the intense political pressure being brought to bear to help Ballyshannon national school in these cases. Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that a promise given to help the school to be amalgamated—a map was drawn up designating the different houses in special catchment areas—should still be honoured by the present administration?
I do not think there is any difference in relation to Administrations.
There is.
It is not a political matter. The situation is that this child is definitely nearer to Ballyshannon and we have no evidence that there is a tradition of attendance in this family at the closed Ballymount school. If such evidence can be produced I will have another look at the matter.
Am I right in thinking that when a school is closed the issue of distance is not important at all? Is that true?
The child's parental home is nearer to Ballyshannon than it is to the closed school. It is 1.3 miles from Ballyshannon school and 3.7 miles from Ballymount school.
I am not being controversial. I just want to clear something in my own mind. I thought that when a child was attending a school, if that school closed, transport was provided and in such a case distance was not the primary consideration.
That would usually be the case but this child was not attending Ballymount school.
The child was not born when Ballymount school was closed. Would the Parliamentary Secretary accept that a map was drawn up at that time and the houses in the area listed where it was traditional for children to attend Ballymount school, and the house of this child's grandmother was included in the Ballymount catchment area? Seeing that the child is now living with his grandmother should he not be transported to Crookstown school?
I am prepared to have another look at it.
33.
asked the Minister for Education if he will arrange for school transport for certain children (details supplied) from Damerstown, Castlecomer to Castlecomer primary school, County Kilkenny.
My Department have no record of any application for transport for these children. If the Deputy will let me have full particulars, I will arrange to have the matter considered.
34.
asked the Minister for Education if he will arrange with CIE for the provision of a bus shelter for school children at Quilty, County Clare.
The provision of bus shelters for school children does not come within the scope of the school transport scheme.
35.
asked the Minister for Education why transport is not provided for 24 pupils to Doochary national school, County Donegal; and if he will have this case re-examined.
I presume the Deputy's question refers to pupils living in the Derryhenny and Derrylea-connell areas. The Department are aware of only 11 applicants from these areas, and of these only five fulfil the conditions for free transport. If the Deputy would arrange to supply particulars of the children to whom he refers. I will have the matter re-examined.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that I have already supplied a list of the names and that there are 24? Is he further aware that the Derryhenny school closed which ordinarily means that transport is automatically provided? It has not been in this Gaeltacht area which, again, as I have stressed frequently, is not comparable with any ordinary area. It is rough, moor, mountain Gaeltacht country. I have the names of the 24 pupils in front of me now, with the exception of two. They went to live with relatives in order to get transport to another school and they would return to their homes where they should be if they got the transport they require. Surely the Parliamentary Secretary should have further information since he has refused this application.
There is no record in the Department of receiving representations from the Deputy on this matter or of the list to which he referred.
I will have to jog the Parliamentary Secretary's memory. This has been going on for a long time.
36.
asked the Minister for Education when free transport will be given to pupils attending Mount Palmer national school, Kincon, Ballina, County Mayo.
An application for a service to Mount Palmer and Ratheskin national schools is under consideration. A decision in the matter will be conveyed to the reverend manager as soon as the Department's inquiries are completed.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary indicate whether the transport will be available in September next?
That depends on the decision taken.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary accept that, in the case of Mount Palmer, there are 13 pupils who are between four and five miles from the school? If he wants their names and ages I can give them to him.
I accept that representations which have been made in this matter are being investigated.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary let me know whether it can be done before September?
That depends on whether there are sufficient eligible pupils to constitute the number for the provision of a service.
I can give the names now.