asked the Minister for Education details of increases in the charges for school travel and the reasons therefor.
Written Answers. - School Transport.
96.
The fares payable per term by pupils who are not eligible for free transport and who travel on a fare-paying basis on special school transport services have been increased as follows with effect from September 1979: Primary pupils: From £2.25 to £3.50 where only one member of a family travels under this arrangement, and from £1.50 to £2.50 per pupil where more than one member of a family avail of the facility. Post-Primary pupils: From £3.00 to £4.50 where only member of a family travels as a fare-payer, and from £2.10 to £3.50 per pupil where more than one member of a family travel on this basis.
These increases have been necessitated by the continuing rise in the cost of providing school transport facilities. I may say that the cost to the parents remains low and bears little relation to the actual cost of providing school transport facilities.
Question No. 97 postponed.
98.
asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of all changes made in Primary and Secondary School Transport in County Galway since the 1 July 1979 and the reasons for these changes.
No changes have been introduced since 1 July 1979 in the schemes governing the provision of school transport in the case of schools in County Galway.
99.
asked the Minister for Education if he will arrange to extend the school transport service between Dungloe and Maghery to Falmore, County Donegal, where some post-primary pupils are now obliged to leave their homes at 6 a.m. and walk to Maghery to avail of the service.
On the basis of the information available to me the pick-up time is about 8.25 a.m. and, accordingly, I do not understand the reference to 6 a.m. I am satisfied that a reasonable standard of service is being provided on the basis of the existing arrangements.
100.
asked the Minister for Education if he will ensure the continued provision of free transport, to schools of their choice, for families who do not profess the Roman Catholic religion and who find that the Catholic ethos of the community school in whose catchment area they live does not accord with their wishes for their children.
101.
asked the Minister for Education the reasons for the changes in regulations governing the free post-primary transport scheme which affects the rights of children of the minority religions, in particular their rights to free school transport to a school of the choice of their parents and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together.
There has been no change in the present school-year, that is, 1978-79 in the regulations governing the scheme for the transport of pupils to secondary schools. A community school has for the purpose of the scheme at all times been considered suitable for all the pupils of the community in whose area the school is situated.
I may add, however, that, where for the purpose of the school transport scheme a school transport catchment area has been recognised for a particular second-level school under Protestant management and a community school is subsequently established within that catchment area in circumstances unrelated to the need to make school provision for Protestant pupils, the existing transport arrangements may be continued for the pupils concerned.
102.
asked the Minister for Education if he will restore school transport to the children from the Ballysaggart area County Waterford, attending Lismore National School, County Waterford; and if he is aware of the hardship caused, particularly to young children, by the withdrawal of this service.
The position in this case is that there is a small number of pupils who cannot be accommodated on an early afternoon service which was introduced specially for junior pupils. The pupils in question can be accommodated on the normal afternoon service at the usual time.