(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Education if he will provide transport for a pupil (details supplied) in County Cavan to Bawnboy school; and if he will explain why other children in the same locality and circumstances are being provided with transport to this school while transport is being denied to this pupil.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport.
15.
The child in question resides in the area of Cortillan closed school which was amalgamated with Tullyveela national school. She is therefore eligible for free transport only to Tullyveela national school under the regulations governing free transport to national schools.
As a concession, fare-paying facilities to Bawnboy national school were allowed in the past to certain children living in the Cortillan closed school area. It was necessary to discontinue the granting of such facilities as they conflicted with the stated interests of Tullyveela school.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that I have been trying to get the injustice in this case righted for approximately three years under three Ministers for Education? I am not alleging there is anything political in it. Does the Minister not appreciate that to grant travel facilities to a number of children in the exact same position as this family and to deprive this family of travel facilities to Bawnboy school is most unfair? Does the Minister realise that this child is attending Bawnboy school and will continue to do so? This has been going on for over a year. The only effect of this is not to help Tullyveela but to penalise those parents. I ask the Minister to look at the information which is on the file and to grant this family the same facilities as the other families.
I assure the Deputy that my immediate predecessor and I looked at all the information on the file regarding this particular case. I hope the Deputy appreciates that in allocating any transport outside of the catchment area we would have to take into account the stated interests of Tullyveela national school. The príomh-oide of the school and the chairman of the board of management have stated they are totally opposed to the granting of any fare-paying facilities to any children other than those already in receipt of them.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I believe I am right in saying that some of those children started going to Bawnboy school on the very same day and were granted fare-paying facilities while the McGoldrick family were not. It is not helping Tullyveela because this child has been going there now for approximately two years and will continue to go there. The only effect of what the Minister is doing and what her predecessor as well as his predecessor did is to infuriate this family. It is not fair. Will the Minister take this matter up with the board of management or whoever else is concerned and end this discrimination? I know that somebody may have gone asleep and the other children may have got on and then Tullyveela kicked up a row and now this family are being deprived. This is discrimination of the worst type.
The Deputy will have to appreciate that this child's family have two other children who will be commencing school later this year. If one were to grant fare-paying facilities to the existing child one would also be discriminating against the school because they would be losing two other pupils as well.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I ask the Minister of State to bear in mind that all she is saying would be perfectly understandable and would have to be accepted if the children in the same category were being treated in the same way. The Minister admits they are not being treated in the same way. Will she have another look at this? There are twins in the family in question who will be going to school on 1 September next. This family are simply infuriated. If they were less responsible the children would not be sent to school at all.
We will have another look at it but I would not be very hopeful.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister communicate with me when she has another look at this matter?