Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 February 2005
164 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will reverse the decision to remove school transport facility from the Kildimo, Clarina, Ballybrown areas to the Salesian College, Pallaskenry which has been in place for over a decade and which took cognisance of the large increase in population of the area and the closure of Mungret College. [6371/05]
View answerUnder the terms of the post primary school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if she or he resides 4.8 kilometres, or more from her or his local post-primary education centre, that is, the centre for the catchment area in which she or he lives. In addition, a pupil may be allowed the concession of transport, known as catchment boundary transport, to a centre other than her or his local centre, provided there is room on the bus to that centre after all eligible pupils have been catered for.
Pupils residing in Kildimo are in the Pallaskenry catchment area and the transport liaison officer with responsibility for the area has advised my Department that transport from this area is operating to Pallaskenry. The pupils in the Clarina and Ballybrown areas reside in the Limerick city catchment area. In that regard, the provision of transport for pupils living in the Limerick city catchment area to the Pallaskenry post primary centre is being reviewed at present and decisions will be taken in the light of the outcome of the new centralised application system for enrolment in Limerick city schools which is being administered by the Limerick education centre.
