asked the Minister for Education what facilities are available for the transport of children to primary schools; and the cost of this service for the latest available year.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Transport of Primary School Children.
68.
My Department contributes towards the cost of the conveyance of children to national schools in the following circumstances : (a) as an alternative to the grant of aid to a new school or the continuance of aid to an existing school; (b) to facilitate the attendance of handicapped children at special schools; (c) to provide educational facilities in Dublin City for the children from Ballyfermot and Finglas areas pending the provision of adequate school accommodation in these areas; (d) to enable Protestant children for whom no suitable school is readily available to attend a school under Protestant management; (e) to enable children on small islands to be conveyed by boat to schools on the mainland.
The total cost of these services for the financial year 1963/64 was £36,604.
Can the Minister state what is the minimum number of children allowable for the purposes of a retarded children's school?
There is no limit. There is a minimum number for the creation of what is regarded as a viable school.
That is what I mean.
A minimum limit of about 41 children would warrant the sanction of a school of about three teachers and this would be regarded as viable.
That is not the question. The question is what is the minimum number in order to open a viable school for retarded children.
I said 41.
That is for three teachers. What is the number for one teacher?
A viable school is regarded as a school which would support three teachers, for which the number is 41, provided there was no such variation in the intelligence quotient of the children as to make it impossible to organise them into classes.
Am I to take it from the Minister's reply that it is not possible to open a school for retarded children unless there are 41 such children available?
The Deputy asked what was the minimum required for a viable school. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, perhaps he would let me have particulars?
The Minister has told us what he is doing for the children of Ballyfermot and the Protestant children of Ireland. Does he propose subsidising transport for the poor children living in rural Ireland in isolated pockets who have to travel four to five miles to school?
That exists.
Only where there is a minimum of five. Will the Minister consider providing transport in cases where there are fewer than five children? I have already given the Minister a case in the Gaeltacht where there are four children who have to walk a distance of six miles over an exposed country road.
Oh, dear.
The Tánaiste may smile.
I am just thinking of the hypocrisy of it. You had all the opportunities of providing this transport years ago and you did not do it.
Unfortunately, the children were not there then. They are there now.
There were some children there or you would not be here.
If I were depending on the senile decay of that gentleman over there, I am sure there would not be very many left in the country.