Vol. 508 No. 1
914 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department will extend the school bus service where the extra costs are met in circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18056/99]
The school transport scheme was devised to provide a basic service for all eligible pupils who might, otherwise, find it difficult to attend school regularly. It was not designed to provide a door to door service.
Arrangements also exist to accommodate ineligible pupils on State services, on a fee-paying basis, where it is possible to do so without additional costs. Ineligible pupils residing in another school area must make their way to the nearest pick up point in the catchment of the school of attendance. A bus route would not be extended into an adjacent school area to collect ineligible pupils.
Circumstances where parents would be prepared to pay for the cost of extending a bus service would not in itself be acceptable because there may be other parents who could not afford to do so. Accordingly, such arrangements could be discriminatory, on the one hand and administratively unworkable on the other.
However, if the Deputy could provide the details of the specific case he has in mind to my Department's school transport section, the matter will be examined.
