Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 2

Written Answers - School Transport.

Ulick Burke

Question:

53 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has for the implementation of the provisions of the report on school transport; if it is his intention to change or alter current catchment areas in response to population changes; and if he will provide a school bus service that will not necessitate a longer period than nine hours' school travel and attendance per day. [12337/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

The report by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Science on school transport in Ireland deals with a broad range of transport issues and contains many recommendations for changes to the school transport system.

The report is the subject of an ongoing assessment, including costings, in the school transport section of my Department and in consultation with Bus Éireann, who operate the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. The Deputy will appreciate that, given the large number of these recommendations and taking account of staff limitations and the major implications in relation to funding, it is not possible to put all the recommendations in place with immediate effect.

Some improvements have been announced in relation to areas where assessments have been completed. These include extended eligibility for pupils where bullying is proven or the nearest school building is physically unsuitable. In January I announced a range of improvements to the school transport scheme. The new improvements will cost in the region of £2.85 million a year.

These include reducing the qualifying distance for primary school pupils aged ten or over from three miles to two miles so that all primary pupils will be treated equally for eligibility purposes. The number of eligible primary pupils required to establish a new school bus service has been reduced from ten to seven.

Improvements have also been made in relation to remote area and scheme D grants and the qualifying distance for post-primary pupils residing remote from a school bus route will be reduced from three to two miles.

All school vehicles will have an on-board communications system fitted during the course of this school year. Arrangements will be made for all buses to have first aid kits on board by the end of the year.

For the purposes of the post-primary education scheme the country is divided into catchment areas, each of which has its own post-primary education centre. The revision of catchment areas is addressed by my Department as the need arises. If the Deputy is aware of a particular area where such a revision would seem to be appropriate, I will have the matter addressed immediately.

School bus routes are planned in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, every eligible pupil has a reasonable standard of service from the point of view of timetable, while at the same time ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective manner. The intention is to ensure that, as far as possible, travelling and waiting times do not exceed 2.5 hours for post-primary pupils and 1.5 hours for primary pupils. I reduced the travelling and waiting time from three hours to 2.5 hours this year.