Vol. 526 No. 3
425 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will now approve the request for school transport as detailed in parliamentary Question No. 853 of 7 November 2000 in view of the fact that Bus Éireann has now submitted its report with regard to school transport for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [26613/00]
The position generally is that, in order to be eligible for free transport, children between the ages of four and ten must live at least two miles from their nearest appropriate school, while older children must live at least three miles away.
The pupil referred to by the Deputy resides 1.7 miles from the school concerned and is ineligible for transport on distance grounds. She can be facilitated with concessionary fare paying transport, from the nearest pick-up point, 0.4 miles from her home. Concessionary fare paying transport may be allowed to ineligible pupils on condition that there is room available on a service after all fully eligible pupils have been accommodated and provided no extra cost is involved by way of extending or altering the route of service.
I regret that, as the child concerned is not eligible for transport to the school in question, it is not open to my Department to extend the service to her home as requested.
