asked the Minister for Education if he will make arrangements to have the school bus servicing the national school at Inch, County Cork, re-routed in order to cater for a number of pupils who are at present refusing to attend the school or, alternatively, provide extra transport for them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport Service.
26.
The children involved already have a reasonable standard of service and the cost of employing an additional vehicle would not be warranted. The issue as to whether the overall standard of service could be improved by a re-routing of the existing bus is being examined by my Department in consultation with CIE.
27.
Mr. R. Burke
asked the Minister for Education if he will arrange for some 11 pupils from the Balbriggan area of County Dublin, who are at present being left behind, to use the school transport to Skerries, even on a fare-paying basis.
The pupils in question are eligible for free transport to Balbriggan which is the nearest postprimary centre to their homes. If they choose to attend school in Skerries, they are, of course, free to do so; but it would not be open to the Department to provide transport for them to Skerries either on a free or fare-paying basis.
Mr. R. Burke
We have the ludicrous situation there that the children from Balbriggan must make their own way to Skerries because there is no bus service other than the school bus service. The school bus that travels from Balbriggan to the convent in Skerries carries only a few pupils and, in spite of the fact that there is plenty of room on it, the other children must make their own arrangements. It would make good economic and social sense to allow those children use that bus and pay their fare to Skerries.
The Deputy is making a speech. He must put a question.
Mr. R. Burke
The same situation exists here as that I mentioned earlier in relation to Swords. There is no Christian Brothers school in Balbriggan but there is one in Skerries and children from Balbriggan want to go to it.
School transport is provided to the nearest suitable school and this rule applies throughout the country. There is a suitable school in Balbriggan. The vocational school there caters for boys and girls and the convent school in Balbriggan also caters for girls. A wide range of subjects is available in the vocational school and I believe it is adequate to the needs of the pupils whose nearest centre is Balbriggan.
Mr. R. Burke
Many parents in north County Dublin have sent their children to the De La Salle school in Skerries and are anxious to continue to do so.
The Chair is awaiting a question; this is not good enough.
Mr. R. Burke
If the bus is going to Skerries empty surely it makes economic sense to allow other school children pay their way on it?
It is the Department's responsibility to provide adequate education for the children and that is being provided in Balbriggan vocational school and in Loreto convent. Transport is available to children whose nearest school is Balbriggan to that centre.
Mr. R. Burke
Poppycock.