Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 4

Written Answers. - School Transport.

Ulick Burke

Question:

248 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to resolve the problems of school transport to Seamount college, Kinvara, County Galway for families who wish to send their children to this college from the Gort area; if he will approve a school transport service; and his views on whether the present situation, as outlined by the Minister for State recently, is the correct stance on the matter. [18853/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The position generally is that my Department is responsible for ensuring that requests for school transport do not unreasonably threaten the viability of existing schools to which parents, teachers and the State through taxpayers have already committed resources. However, my Department is also required to consider the practical difficulties experienced by families, arising from the rigid application of the scheme.

The background to this particular case is that a problem arose in relation to girls from the Kinvara catchment area who wished to attend Gort community school. The position was unusual in that members of the same household were appropriate to separate catchment areas on the basis of their gender. In these circumstances it was decided that pupils who would not ordinarily qualify for transport to another catchment area would be allowed to board the bus at the same point as whose with a full transport entitlement provided no extra State cost was involved. As a bus service already existed taking boys to Gort this condition was met. The change to the scheme was made with effect from September 1998.

A similar situation did not exist in the case of girls seeking transport from the Gort area to Kinvara. There was no existing bus service from the Gort area to Kinvara and accordingly the above conditions did not exist. In the circumstances where significant additional costs would arise it was not open to my Department to establish a new service under the conditions of the school transport scheme.