Vol. 456 No. 2
21 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education if she will extend the school bus route serving Clifden Community School, from Inishnee Crossroads to Toombola Crossroads, which service would be of benefit to five students living in this sparsely populated area. [12907/95]
I regret that it is not possible to extend the service as requested. The school transport scheme is intended to provide a basic level of service for pupils who would otherwise experience difficulty in attending school regularly. Pupils living off the main route of service, as is the case with the five pupils in question, are generally required to make their own way to a convenient pick-up point. The pupils in this case live between 0.2 and 2.7 miles from the present pick up point. If the service were extended to Toombola Crossroads the additional annual cost in this case would be almost £3,000. The cost of providing a service at this level on a countrywide basis would be prohibitive. I understand that the extension requested would also disimprove the timetable of the existing service, both morning and evening, for other pupils on this route. The service being provided to the pupils in question is regarded as adequate and is the best that can be offered in this instance.
