Vol. 502 No. 6
328 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will examine the transport difficulties for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary following a change in the bus route; if he will revert to the original route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9020/99]
Post-primary school transport routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible pupil will have more than three miles to travel to a pick-up point. Pupils living off the main route of service are generally expected to make their own way to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
The pupil to whom the Deputy refers resides one mile from the route of the existing service. The bus driver in question facilitated this pupil on a short-term basis with a pick-up from her home village at the parent's request, but without the authorisation of the local Bus Eireann office. When this came to the attention of the local Bus Eireann inspector, the service reverted to the official route.
As the level of service on offer is well within guidelines and compares favourably with the standard in operation throughout the country as a whole, I regret that it would not be open to my Department to extend the service as requested.
