asked the Minister for Education when arrangements will be made to ensure that pupils (details supplied) from an area of South Wexford will be granted school transport facilities to secondary schools in Wexford town.
Written Answers. - School Transport.
465.
The pupils in the Killinick and contiguous area reside in the Bridgetown catchment area. Those who are three miles or more from Bridgetown are eligible for, and can be provided with, free transport to that centre.
Pupils who are eligible for free transport to Bridgetown may instead qualify for catchment boundary facilities to Wexford centre, i.e. they must make their own way to the catchment boundary for Wexford and board the bus at a point on the Wexford side of the catchment boundary. Under the terms of the free transport scheme such facilities are provided on condition that there is spare room on the relevant vehicle after pupils attending their appropriate centre have been accommodated and that no extra cost to the State is incurred.
No guarantee can be given that accommodation for pupils availing of catchment boundary facilities will be available in any particular school year.
The circular letter issued each summer to the parents of such pupils by the transport liaison officer for Wexford town does not, as the Deputy states, refuse transport to Wexford for the pupils, nor are they allocated spare spaces on a fare-paying basis. The letter advises parents that there can be no guarantee of places for pupils availing of catchment boundary facilities on services operating from the following September. If seats are available after provision for eligible pupils is made, free transport will be provided for as many of the catchment boundary pupils as possible.