Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2004
208 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will consider allowing the school bus to re-route to pick up a person (details supplied) in County Offaly to enable them to attend St. Cronan’s Church of Ireland national school, Roscrea, County Tipperary; if the fact that there will be two more persons on this route in September 2004 will have a bearing on the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13492/04]
View answerThe family to which the Deputy refers lives within 1.3 miles of the route of service to St. Cronan's national school, its nearest school. As a rule primary school transport routes are planned so that as far as possible no eligible child will have more than 1.5 miles to travel to a pick-up point. Pupils living off the main route of a service are generally expected to make their own way or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route. Home pick-ups were never envisaged as being part of the school transport scheme.
The family appealed my Department's decision to the school transport appeals board, which found that the terms of the school transport scheme have been properly and appropriately applied in this case. As the family has a level of service within guidelines, the present arrangement is the most that can be offered by my Department.
