Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 2 May 1996

Vol. 464 No. 8

Written Answers. - School Transport.

Noel Treacy

Question:

47 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Education the reason national school transport has been discontinued for families (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the seriousness of this situation, including the implications for the health of some of the children; if she will provide the relevant grant aid to these children and ensure that their school transport is restored immediately; when applications were made by the relevant parents for existing transport; when sanction will be granted to these families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8929/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

The children in question were in receipt of free transport until Easter 1996. It recently came to the attention of my Department that the children are in fact ineligible for transport, as they are not attending their nearest national school. The parents concerned were notified that transport would be discontinued at the end of the Easter term.

As the children in question are not eligible for transport, they do not qualify for grant-aid towards the cost of private transport arrangements. However, one of the children, who had been allowed free transport on medical grounds will be grant-aided, based on the distance to the nearest school.

In respect of the other children, it would not be open to my Department to restore free school transport, or sanction grant-aid towards the cost of private arrangements. Concessionary fare-paying transport, subject to availability, is the most that can be offered under the terms of the scheme.

My Department received applications for free transport for the first of the children to whom the Deputy refers in 1991.