Vol. 526 No. 3
100 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if it is policy to ensure that school transport services are scheduled to get the students to school on time; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the 50 students on a school bus service to the second level schools in Skibbereen, County Cork, are consistently late; and if he will take the appropriate steps to have the schedules changed to remedy the situation. [26414/00]
The position generally is that school buses are scheduled to ensure that pupils are transported to school centres in sufficient time for the commencement of the school day. To do otherwise would be unfair to pupils and a source of disruption to the other pupils and teachers in the classroom. It would be of major concern to me and to my Department if pupils were arriving late to school on a regular basis.
The school transport section of my Department was not aware of the problem in Skibbereen. However, inquiries made indicate that the bus in question is a public service scheduled bus and has been arriving late in the centre.
My Department has requested a full report on the matter from the transport liaison officer, County Cork vocational education committee. I understand that office has already been in contact with Bus Éireann with a view to resolving the matter. The Deputy will be informed of the position as soon as the report has been received.
