I thank Deputy Ring for raising this matter. It gives me an opportunity to outline the position in relation to school transport arrangements for pupils attending Killawalla National School. My Department has responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of approximately 160,000 primary and post-primary pupils to schools throughout the country. It also has responsibility to ensure the State gets the best possible value for the money spent on the provision of this service. It does not come cheaply. In 1996, the net cost to the taxpayer was in excess of £40 million.
I should explain that in the organisation of school transport services, routes are planned to ensure every eligible pupil has a reasonable standard of service from the point of view of timetable, while at the same time ensuring that the school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective manner. To do this, individual vehicles are generally required to operate a number of services to schools and, consequently, extended timetables often require some pupils to make an early start in the morning and to wait for some time in the evening. This is a feature of the school transport scheme throughout the country. My Department has to consider the operation of the school transport scheme as a whole and the requirement not to breach guidelines which would have financial and policy implications for the transport service in general.
The position in this case is that there are two buses operating to Killawalla school, a large bus and a minibus. The minibus operates a double trip whereas previously the services to this school were provided by a contractor's minibus operating three trips. I understand that from 22 September 1997 the large bus on this service caters for pupils from the Shraheens area. The minibus now caters for pupils from the Ballyburke and Derreendafderg areas. This arrangement is being kept under review.
It was originally intended that a large bus would be used to accommodate all the eligible pupils from the Ballyburke and Shraheens areas immediately after school. This service could set down the Ballyburke pupils first which would involve a trip of approximately 17 minutes before operating the Shraheens trip without having to return to the school. However, this option was not availed of by the pupils but could still be implemented if required. The Department has been requested to provide an additional bus to cater for pupils from the Ballyburke area who have to wait 20 to 25 minutes in the evening.
The present level of service is considered to be reasonable and adequate in the context of the general operation of the scheme and extra cost would be incurred in providing the additional bus as requested. Despite the foregoing, and in view of Deputy Ring's moving eloquence and certain new facts brought to my attention today by my colleague, Deputy Cooper-Flynn, I am prepared to have my Department examine this case again to see if a solution can be found. I cannot give any guarantee to the Deputy but I will examine the matter again tomorrow with a view to finding a solution.
The Dáil adjourned at 9.10 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 16 October 1997.
