asked the Minister for Education if and when it is proposed to provide free transport for students attending Donegal town vocational school.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport.
47.
Mr. O'Malley
The organisational arrangements for providing free transport for eligible students attending post-primary schools in Donegal town are at present in hands. Where eligible students attending the centre are in a position to avail themselves of public scheduled services free transport will be provided for them not later than 1st September next. Where special school buses are necessary, a service will be provided if possible in September next but if not as soon as possible after that.
The nature of the post-primary transport scheme is such that it must necessarily be a phased operation. The main limiting factor in providing special school services will be the shortage of suitable vehicles. I can assure the Deputy that there will be no avoidable delay in introducing services but at this stage I can give no promise as to the precise date on which any particular area will be serviced fully.
In cases of this kind where pupils can avail themselves of the ordinary public transport and where they have been doing so since last April, would the Minister be prepared to refund to them the cost of transport since that date?
Mr. O'Malley
No, that would not be feasible.
Would it not make it equitable if it is being applied now——
Mr. O'Malley
The Deputy knows in what areas it is being applied and on a question later on, I shall deal with that, in cases where we took over services that were previously supplied by parents' associations and others, from 1st April.
48.
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that the children in the Hollyford area, County Tipperary are experiencing great difficulty in getting to secondary and vocational schools due to the inadequacy of the transport system; and if he will take urgent steps to provide a school transport service from Hollyford to Tipperary town, Cappawhite, and other centres where secondary and vocational education is available to meet the needs of the many children concerned.
Mr. O'Malley
I am aware of the urgent need for providing transport for children from the Hollyford area attending post-primary schools and I shall endeavour to have the area serviced at the earliest possible date.
Could the Minister give any indication as to when that might be? He appreciates the handicap that children experience in getting to school from that mountainous area.
Mr. O'Malley
It is true that the distances to be travelled by the children in this area merit some degree of priority and it is hoped to complete all the preliminary arrangements so as to enable this service to start in September, if possible, and I think that is highly probable.
The Minister did say earlier that it would take two or three years to put into operation but this is an exceptional case.
49.
asked the Minister for Education if a student taking a particular course of instruction, who cannot take this course in the school to which free transport is provided from his area, will be provided with free transport to the nearest school under his Department's control where such course of instruction is available.
Mr. O'Malley
If a student following either a vocational or a secondary course is unable to obtain such a course in the nearest centre to his home, free transport will be provided to the next nearest centre at which the course is available, subject to the general conditions of the scheme in regard to distance and to a minimum number of seven students being carried.
50.
asked the Minister for Education if he will indicate, in respect of each school under his control to which free transport is provided, the area from which such free transport is being made available.
Mr. O'Malley
Free transport will be based on post-primary centres rather than on individual schools. Each of the 350 centres in the country will have a catchment area for transport purposes and transport will radiate from the centre to various points in the area. The catchment areas are being drawn up in consultation with the local education authorities, but it will be a considerable time yet before they are fully defined. I am not in a position, therefore, to furnish the information which the Deputy seeks.