School travel patterns are influenced by a wide range of factors including distance of residence from the school, availability of choice in relation to transportation, existence of safe routes to schools, standards of roads and footpaths in the vicinity of schools and personal choice. The Sustainable Travel and Transport Action Plan, which I intend to publish early in 2009 and which benefited from consultation with relevant Departments, including the Department of Education and Science, will refer to this aspect of travel in some detail.
My Department is well aware of An Taisce's Green-Schools Travel Module and I intend to continue, in 2009, to provide significant financial support to the Module, through the Dublin Transportation Office. The Module is planned to encompass 534 schools next year.