(Wexford): I assure Deputy Carey that I would certainly like to see schools in rural areas protected. He might like to know that we also have an Inch in County Wexford.
I would like to thank the Deputy for his contribution to this debate. At the outset, I would like to say that the Department of Education have a responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of approximately 165,000 primary and post-primary pupils to schools throughout the country. We also have the responsibility to ensure that the State gets the best possible value for the money it expends on the provision of this service. In the current year, approximately £36 million will be spent on the provision of this service.
Eligibility for primary school transport, on distance and attendance grounds, is determined by reference to the nearest school. In order to be eligible for free school transport, children under ten years of age must live at least two miles from their nearest school, while older children must live at least three miles from that school.
Bus Éireann, the agent for my Department, administer the primary school transport scheme on the ground. That company assesses the eligibility of all primary children seeking school transport and determine eligibility and routes in accordance with the terms of the primary school transport scheme.
In order to establish, or retain, a school transport service under the terms of the primary school transport scheme:
There must be a sufficient number of children in a distinct locality attending their nearest national school to ensure that the average daily number of eligible children conveyed each term is not less than ten.
In the case of Inch national school, County Clare, the average daily number of eligible children being conveyed from the Tullassa, Cappalea and Clonfeigh locality, during both the easter and summer school terms, 1991, had fallen to six and, consequently, the school authorities were informed by my Department that the service from this locality would have to be withdrawn at the end of the summer school term, 1991.
The parents and school authorities subsequently submitted a list of children to my Department in the hope that a sufficient number of eligible children were available in order to have the service restored. The Department, on further investigation, found that both the school authorities and parents were counting ineligible children for whom Inch national school was not their nearest national school. Ineligible children cannot be counted towards the retention of a service. The Department also found that the numbers of eligible children had fallen further to five since the service had been discontinued.
The parents' body included in their list certain children from the Cloughleigh school area in order to make up the required ten. Under the terms of the transport scheme children from another school area may not be counted for purposes of establishment or retention of a service. Such children are only allowed to travel to a school other than their own on an incidental fare-paying basis. The parent's argument is that Cloughleigh school is overcrowded so their children cannot attend it. The Department investigated and found this not to be the case.
A new list of children has recently been forwarded to the Department. Again, the school authorities and parents have included ineligible children for whom Inch national school is not their nearest national school. Consequently, the situation remains as before. Only six eligible pupils are currently available for transport, so that the numbers are still insufficient.
I will pass on to the Minister for Education Deputy Carey's request that he meet a deputation from the board of management to see what can be done about this matter.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.40 p.m. until 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 3 June 1992.