Vol. 462 No. 6
91 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Education the reason pupils from the Skeheenarinky area of County Tipperary who attend secondary school in Mitchelstown, County Cork are collected by the school bus first each morning and returned home last each evening; if she will have arrangements made for the bus to return these children home first each evening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5256/96]
The school transport arrangements in this case involve the operation of four buses covering five routes in the Mitchelstown area. Consequently a double trip arrangement is in operation, whereby one route has a less advantageous timetable than the others. Double-tripping is a feature of the school transport scheme throughout the country.
In the past, the double trip arrangement in the Mitchelstown area affected pupils only from one particular area. However, in order to achieve an equity of service for all pupils in the area, it was decided that the double-trip would be shared by the pupils on all five routes. This arrangement was put into opearation in September 1995 and will rotate on an annual basis.
