asked the Minister for Education when a school transport service will be made available to the new central national school at Gurteen, Ballinasloe, County Galway.
Written Answers. - School Transport Service.
574.
I am happy to say that a school transport service to Gurteen national school was introduced when the school opened on Tuesday 1 September 1981. This was notified to the Deputy by letter from me on 20 September 1981.
575.
asked the Minister for Education if he will provide the school transport facilities to Ballymacaward national school, Ballinasloe, County Galway which were agreed in 1974 when this school was built.
I am not aware that any pupil eligible for school transport in accordance with the arrangements communicated to the relevant school authorities in 1974 is not being provided with school transport to Ballymacaward national school. However, the Deputy may be referring to the re-arrangement of transport for children attending Ballymacaward school, arising out of a report from CIE in August, 1981 that 19 children who had been availing of free transport were found, in the course of routine checking, to have been ineligible for free transport. Fourteen of these children were found to be residing less than one mile from the school and five others were found to be living in the area of Woodlawn national school. However, the majority of children were allowed fare-paying facilities to their respective schools, and a curtailment of approximately one mile was introduced to the service.
I received a request from Paul Connaughton, T.D. to receive a deputation which I did on 10 September 1981 and, subsequent to this, I decided that free transport should be restored to the 19 pupils who had been found to be ineligible and that the route of the service should be restored and operate as it did up to the end of the 1980-81 school year. These arrangements were implemented on 22 September 1981 and are currently operating. I am unaware therefore of any reason for dissatisfaction at this time.
576.
asked the Minister for Education when transport will be provided for certain children (details supplied) to Leitrim national school, County Leitrim.
Since there are only two eligible children in the particular locality it would not be open to the Department to establish a school transport service for them. The suggestion made by the Deputy in his earlier representations on this case have the following three major disadvantages: firstly, it would greatly inconvenience all of the other children involved in the transport service and would mean them having to be picked up significantly earlier and set down much later in the afternoon; the suggested turning point would not be suitable for the large bus which operates this service and a further extension would therefore be necessary to meet the request; thirdly the cost involved would be wildly disproportionate to normal costs in the scheme.
577.
asked the Minister for Education if he will arrange for free transport to be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The appropriate post primary centre for the pupil in question is St. Paul's secondary school, Oughterard and free transport is available to that centre.