asked the Minister for Education if he will sanction free transport for children from Gurteenfluigh, Lackabaun and Lyrenageeha areas who attend post-primary school at Ballingeary, County Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport Services.
59.
Free transport is available to these children from Gurteenowen Cross to Ballingeary. The distance from this point to the pupils' homes varies, being from 1.5 miles to 0.8 miles. To bring the service nearer these pupils would necessitate a projection of the service on to a minor road, resulting in additional cost and also in inconvenience for other pupils using the route. In the circumstances, I am not in a position to sanction an extension of this service.
60.
asked the Minister for Education if he will make arrangements whereby sanction for transport and accommodation at his local primary school, similar to that granted to his brother, will be granted in respect of a child (name supplied) in County Cork.
Yes, in so far as transport is concerned. The question of accommodation, in that school, is one which should be taken up with the manager of the school concerned.
61.
asked the Minister for Education if he is reviewing the school transport service throughout the country with a view to withdrawing service from a number of children who have already qualified for this service.
In accordance with normal audit requirements in relation to such schemes, spot checks are carried out from time to time to ensure that the terms of the free transport scheme are being observed. Where irregularities come to light in the course of such checks, the position has to be corrected. There is, however, no question of services being withdrawn from children who qualify for them under the terms of the scheme.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary accept that there seems to be more than a reasonable number of spot checks taking place now? I am referring particularly to cases where children would seem to have the minimum qualification of two miles or three miles under information originally supplied by CIE. Has the Parliamentary Secretary instructed CIE to go back and remeasure these cases where children have just the minimum qualifications with CIE coming up with the answer that they are now somewhat less than the two or three miles and therefore do not qualify?
I assure the Deputy I have given CIE no such instruction.
I am pleased to hear that but there are many instances where reforms have taken place.
I am not aware of them.
I can give the Parliamentary Secretary some information privately. I hope the practice will be discontinued.
I shall be glad to have the information.
62.
asked the Minister for Education if he will make school transport available from Cooldorough, Bellair and Moorock, Ballycumber, County Offaly, to Moate post-primary school, County Westmeath.
I regret to say that this cannot be done. However, free school transport services within the limits laid down for the operation of the scheme are already available from the districts in question to either Clara or Ferbane post-primary centres.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is no leaving certificate examination course in Clara and the nearest point would be the Moate post-primary school?
Arrangements have been made to provide this course for pupils in the Clara area in Tullamore.
But it is not in the Clara area. It is in the Ballycumber area.
The Deputy is asking about the Clara school.
There is no post-primary school there.
But arrangements are being made in Tullamore for the children from the Clara catchment area to do the leaving certificate there and the necessary bus services are being provided. The following are the arrangements for leaving certificate pupils from the Clara area: a direct bus service from Clara to Tullamore, 7½ miles, carrying 24 pupils, and a service from Clara via Ballycumber, the Island, Ballinagh, Rathvilly, Killenea, Screggan, Muckless, Tullamore, 15 miles carrying 30 pupils. These are the two services provided to enable these children to avail of leaving certificate courses in Tullamore.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that Moate is the nearest school to them? It is the nearest school to the Ballycumber area and the children have been attending there all the time, paying for school transport out of their own pockets.
They are not in the Moate catchment area. They are in the Clara catchment area and, as the Deputy knows, these catchment areas were laid down long ago and breaching them now would involve very serious implications. Arrangements have been made for these children to do the leaving certificate by their going on to Tullamore.
That means the children concerned will have to go to Tullamore schools.
Arrangements are in existence to enable them to do just that.
No they are not.
We cannot engage in argument.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that no children from that area are going to Tullamore school? They are in Moate.
What I am saying is that the arrangements are there whereby they may do this. If they choose not to avail of them, that is their affair.
Question No. 63.
They are farther away. It is not economic for them to bring their children 15 miles——
Deputy Connolly.
There is a post-primary school only five miles away and there are 22 children attending it. It does not make sense.
Deputy Connolly. The Chair has been addressing you for some moments.
I apologise. I did not hear you.
Will you please restrain yourself at Question Time?
I want clarification.
Resume your seat please.
I want to ask a question.
Deputy Connolly, resume your seat.
I want clarification. The Chair ruled another question of mine out of order. What is wrong with me?
Deputy Connolly is seeking to defy the Chair.
I am not defying the Chair. I am looking for clarification.
Deputy Connolly, resume your seat for a moment.
Very well, but I would like clarification.
Deputy, you cannot dictate to the Chair in this fashion.
I am not dictating to the Chair at all. I should like to explain that. I am looking for clarification.
I will allow the Deputy one final supplementary and then we shall pass on to the next question and that is that.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the children from the area mentioned in the question are attending Moate post-primary school and not attending Tullamore school because it is 15 miles away? It is not sensible. It is not logical.
I am aware that some parents have chosen to send their children to Moate. As I indicated in my original reply, these children are either in the Ferbane catchment area or the Clara catchment area. In respect of these catchment areas, leaving certificate courses are made available in Tullamore and services are available which can bring these children to the leaving certificate courses in Tullamore. These services are passing within a reasonable distance of Moorpark and Bellaire and therefore the children can avail of these services if they choose. If, on the other hand, they choose to go to the school which is not providing the leaving certificate course associated with the catchment in which they live, that is a decision for them. They can join the service to Moate at the catchment boundary but we may not arrange services to Moate which would involve an incursion into the Clara or Ferbane catchments. That is the position.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary have consultations——
The Chair has called the next question. Would Deputy O'Kennedy please assist the Chair in making some progress.
——with the principals in this catchment area to see if this anomaly to which Deputy Connolly refers can be cleared up?
I will. I am not saying I will succeed, but I will look into it.
63.
asked the Minister for Education if he will make school transport available to children from Clonboniffe, Belmont to Belmont national school, County Offaly.
Under the terms of the free transport scheme, a minimum of ten eligible children is required to warrant the introduction of a service. I understand that there are only six children in the locality who are eligible for free transport under the terms of the scheme. Four of these are in the area of Clonlyon school, which was closed and amalgamated with Clonmacnoise national school, and they are eligible for transport to the central school if they wish to avail themselves of it.
It is not feasible, therefore, in accordance with the relevant regulations to make arrangements for free school transport for the children in question to High Street national school, Belmont.
64.
asked the Minister for Education if he will make school transport available to children from Milltown and Clyduff to Clonlish national school, Shinrone, County Offaly.
Under the terms of the school free transport scheme it is necessary that there be a minimum of ten eligible children in a particular locality to warrant the provision of a transport service. As there are only eight eligible children in the locality referred to by the Deputy, my Department are not in a position to institute a service.