asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that 50 school children from the Roundstone area, County Galway who attend Clifden community school are obliged to leave their homes at 6.00 a.m. to meet the school bus and are not returned home until 7.30 p.m.; and if he will improve on these transport arrangements to allow the children to travel to and from their school at reasonable hours.
Written Answers. - School Transport.
362.
I understand that the existing time table of the service to Clifden community school from the general Roundstone area is necessitated by the other work which the vehicle involved is required to do, i.e., a post primary service from the Ballyconnealy area to Clifden and a primary school transport service to Ballyconneely national school. However, I would be perturbed if children eligible for free transport were obliged to meet the time table outlined by the Deputy and would consider it unacceptable. In a situation like this, it would obviously help if the parents could let the Department know as soon as possible; in this case, no complaints were received.
I am having the matter further investigated and will communicate the results of that investigation to the Deputy with a view to improving the situation if at all possible.
363.
asked the Minister for Education if he will provide school transport for the children of three families (details supplied) in County Westmeath who are attending St. Tolagh's national school.
Under the terms of the primary school transport scheme, when a school is closed and amalgmated with another school, free transport for children in the closed school area is generally given only to the school of amalgamation. The children in question reside in the area of Turin closed school which was amalgamated with Loughegar national school. They are therefore eligible for free transport thereto, and a service is available should they wish to use it.
Transport has been conceded on a free basis for the third family mentioned by the Deputy and on a fare-paying basis for the first family. These concessions were given on the basis of the situation as it existed up to 1978. The second family mentioned by the Deputy applied for a similar concession after the management of Loughegar school had objected to the concession being granted and it was decided that while the concession would be continued for those who already had it, nobody else should be allowed it.
Due to a reorganisation of services in the area, the families to whom the concession was granted now reside 1.1 and 1.4 miles from the service to Killulagh. This standard of service is considered adequate, having regard to the general standards existing throughout the country as a whole.