Batt O'Keeffe
Ceist:158 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education if she intends to provide a larger vehicle for the national school bus service to Ballinora national school from the Waterfall area. [3506/97]
Written Answers. - School Transport.
All eligible pupils attending Ballinora national school from the Waterfall area are catered for on existing school transport services.
Pupils who do not qualify for free transport on normal age-distance grounds may be accommodated on existing services, by paying concessionary fares, subject to the availability of seats after all eligible children have been catered for. There is limited capacity on this vehicle to cater for concessionary fare-paying pupils.
However, no extra State cost can be incurred by way of extending or altering the route of the service or by providing an additional or larger vehicle for pupils who are not eligible for free transport. Extra cost would be incurred if a larger bus were provided on this route.
In the circumstances, it is not open to my Department to provide a larger vehicle on this route.