asked the Minister for Education with regard to school transport facilities for children attending Dromakeenan national school, County Offaly, if her attention has been drawn to commitments which were given to children formerly attending Killavilla school, closed some time ago and similarly children attending Ballaghmore national school closed recently; if she will consider revising the present arrangement to that of the 1987 level; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - County Offaly School Transport.
245.
In the case of school amalgamations, the Department undertake to provide a transport service from the closed school area to the school of amalgamation, as long as there are sufficient eligible pupils. However, no specific commitments are given in regard to the level of service for individual children.
The position in this case is that under the normal review of services carried out by Bus Éireann it was found possible to facilitate children from the Killavilla closed school area on an existing large Bus Éireann vehicle resulting in a saving of a minibus.
While the standard of service available to these children is not on par with that of 1987-88, the Department consider these children to have an adequate standard of service in the context of the general operation of the primary school transport scheme. My Department have no plans to make any further changes to existing transport arrangements from the Killavilla closed school area.