Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Jun 1992

Vol. 420 No. 9

Adjournment Debate Matter. - County Leitrim School Transport.

Mr. G. Reynolds

The question of school transport to the post-primary schools in Mohill, County Leitrim has been an ongoing problem for a considerable period of time. There are, I think, 12 students involved and they wish to have the school bus service extended from Farnaught Post Office to Beihy Bridge, a distance of about two miles. The students have to get the bus at 7.30 each morning to the schools concerned. As one can appreciate, they have to travel an extra three to four miles to Farnaught Post Office. That means they and their families have a very early morning start.

The reason I raise this matter is that all these students have attended Gortletteragh primary school and happen to live within the catchment area of Newtownforbes, Longford and Moyne post-primary schools. The majority of students who attended Gortletteragh school all follow second level education in Mohill, County Leitrim. It is important that all these students remain together— and they wish to do so — in the course of their primary and post-primary education.

I have been in touch with the chief executive officer of Leitrim Vocational Education Committee in regard to this problem. He tells me he has received written confirmation from the principal of the post-primary school in Newtownforbes stating that she would have no objection to allowing a bus to go as far as Beihy Bridge to collect students. I understand also from local parents that they have received verbal confirmation from both Longford and Moyne post-primary schools that they would have no objection to these students being picked up at Beihy Bridge. I also understand that the majority of students from this area all attend school in Mohill, that no students attend school, unless in a boarding capacity, in any other area

While understanding that school catchment areas are sacred I would point out to the Minister that there is no objection on the part of any of the other three post-primary schools to the extension of a school bus from Farnaught post office to Beihy Bridge, which would cater for the vast majority of students and their families in this area, a service to which those people are entitled.

I hope the Minister will be able to respond positively to my request since this problem has continued over a number of years. I genuinely feel that the people of the area have been unfairly penalised.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

First, I should thank Deputy Gerry Reynolds for having raised this matter and allowing me to clarify the position.

At the outset, I should say that the Department of Education have a responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of approximately 165,000 primary and post-primary pupils to schools throughout the country. We also have responsibility to ensure that the State gets the best possible value for the considerable sums it expends on the provision of this service.

The Deputy's subject relates to eligibility for school transport under the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme. For the purposes of the post-primary education scheme, the country has been divided into catchment areas, each of which has its post-primary education centre. Recognised post-primary pupils, who live at least three miles from the post-primary centre of the catchment area in which they reside, are eligible, under the post-primary school transport scheme, for transport to that centre. When such a pupil attends a school in another centre, he or she may be allowed transport under the scheme from the nearest pick-up point of the centre attended, if a spare seat is available on the transport service to that centre and provided that there is no extra State cost involved by way of a larger bus or an extension of the route.

The students to whom the Deputy refers attend Mohill post-primary centre. However, they reside in the Beihy Bridge area which forms part of the Newtownforbes-Longford post-primary catchment area. Consequently, they are fully eligible, under the terms of my Department's school transport scheme, for transport to Newtownforbes and Longford post-primary centres. As the area in which they reside is not situated in the Mohill post-primary catchment area, they are not eligible for full school transport to Mohill post-primary centre.

It is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice but it is not the purpose of the school transport scheme to facilitate them in exercising that choice. The main object of the scheme is to provide a basic level of service for pupils who live long distances from their appropriate school. The parents in question have chosen to send their children to a school outside their catchment area. Accordingly, under the terms of the scheme they may be accommodated only on the school transport service from the boundary of the Mohill catchment area. That is why they are collected and set down by the school bus at Farnaught post office. No extra cost may be incurred by extending the route to accommodate them.

An extension of the Mohill service from the catchment boundary as far as Beihy Bridge is being requested for these pupils. This would give rise to extra costs. However, apart from cost considerations, an extension to Beihy Bridge would encroach upon the adjoining New-townforbes-Longford catchment area. This arrangement would not be acceptable for the reasons stated. I am satisfied that the existing arrangement available to these children is the most my Department can allow under the terms of the scheme.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Deputy once again for giving me the opportunity to clarify for the House the regulations pertaining to this type of situation.