Vol. 497 No. 2
392 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if Bus Éireann has applied to his Department for funding to facilitate an extension of the school bus service to Clonroche national school, County Wexford, to accommodate a large family who live 0.7 miles from the terminus; if approval will issue for this route extension in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24543/98]
As a guideline, primary school transport routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 1.5 miles to travel to a pick-up point. Pupils living off the main route of a service are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
Home pick-ups were never envisaged as being part of the school transport scheme, as the cost involved on a countrywide level would be prohibitive.
An application for transport was examined by my Department in respect of the family in question. The pupils concerned live 0.7 miles from the present pick-up point. As this is considered to be a reasonable level of service in the overall context of the scheme, I regret that it is not open to my Department to re-route the school bus as requested.
