Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
541 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans in place to address the severe lack of space on school buses for pupils travelling from Blackwater to Wexford town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22373/04]
View answerMy Department has requested a report from the transport liaison officer, County Wexford VEC. The matter will be considered on receipt of this report.
542 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science if some parents are being forced, out of economic necessity, to send their children to a school (details supplied) due to a shortage of school bus places; the measures proposed to redress this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22374/04]
View answerMy Department has requested a report on the matter from the transport liaison officer County Wexford VEC. The case will be examined on receipt of the report.
543 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Science if a full review of the school bus catchment areas and boundaries will be carried out in view of the fact that there has been no major change since 1969 and the tremendous demographic and educational changes that have taken place since then. [22375/04]
View answerFor the purposes of post-primary education provision, the country is divided into catchment areas each of which has its own post-primary education centre. These areas were drawn up in the late 1960s in the context of the free education scheme. The catchment boundaries were determined following consultation with local educational interests and the intention was that certain primary schools would feed exclusively into each centre. A relatively small number of primary schools are shared between two or more centres.
My Department has no plans at present to carry out a full review of all catchment area boundaries.
