Vol. 480 No. 7
117 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education if he will have investigations made into the reason children attending the new Community College in Riverstown, County Cork are not being dropped at the entrance to the college, but are instead being dropped on the very busy main road. [15103/97]
The pupils in question are catered for on public scheduled transport and are set down at an established bus-stop on the bus route, approximately half a mile from the school. From this point, they make their own way to the new Community College in Riverstown, County Cork.
Post-primary pupils attending centres throughout the country are dropped at central set down points each day and make their own way to their respective schools. This is a feature of the school transport scheme at post-primary level in urban areas.
118 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education the reason five students from Little Island, County Cork have been refused school transport to the new college at Riverstown. [15104/97]
Under the terms of the school transport scheme, a special school bus service may be established where there is a minimum of seven eligible pupils within an area which can be reasonably and economically served by a bus route.
In the case referred to by the Deputy, there are only five eligible pupils from the Little Island area offering for transport to the new college at Riverstown. In accordance with the terms of the scheme, it would not be open to my Department to establish a special service for these pupils.
My Department will review the establishment of a service for the 1998-9 school year, in the event that the numbers of eligible pupils from this area reach the minimum required.
In the meanwhile, my Department is considering the matter of a remote area grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements for eligible pupils from Little Island. The Deputy will be informed of the outcome in due course.
