Vol. 548 No. 5
434 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will arrange for an official from the school transport section of his Department to call to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo regarding the transport service being provided to this person's children and request for a slight alteration in the route. [5516/02]
The family in question reside 0.9 miles from the route of service to the school. The road from the family's home to the pick-up point is considered to be no less safe than similar roads used by children throughout the country.
As a rule, primary school transport routes are planned so that as far as possible no eligible pupil will have more than 1.5 miles to travel to a pick-up point. Pupils living off the main route of service are generally expected to make their own way, or be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
As the family concerned are considered to have an adequate level of service in the context of the general operation of the scheme, it is not open to my Department to allow a re-routing of service at additional cost, as requested.
