I wish to share one minute of my time with my constituency colleague, Deputy McGennis.
Adjournment Debate. - School Transport.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I want to raise the application of two school authorities for free school transport for pupils from Cherry Orchard who attend St. Louisa's junior and senior girls' schools in Ballyfermot. The school authorities make a very strong case that many circumstances, including the lack of free transport, limit parents' capacity to access education for their children at an early stage. Within the terms of the current scheme, these pupils are denied free school transport because they live just outside the two to three mile limit.
The weekly transport cost to parents is £6.50 per child. In many cases, more than one child attends these schools and this places a huge expense on families living in Cherry Orchard, which I consider to be the most disadvantaged urban area in the State. There is a high level of unemployment in the area and many of these families are dependent on social welfare. As a result, a three day school-going week has become the norm in these schools.
As the school authorities see it, the effect of the lack of free transport is as follows: a poor attendance rate, low achievement and late identification of special needs undermining the benefits of early childhood and primary education, ineffective use of school resources, early school leaving at primary level, lack of full participation and inclusion for all in quality education. Effective parental involvement is hampered by constraints of time and stress put on parents struggling with daily transport arrangements.
The school authorities welcome plans to provide a primary school for Cherry Orchard but in the meantime ask that consideration be given to providing free transport now, ensuring children's rights to education by removing the financial barriers facing disadvantaged families. The principals of both schools are happy to provide the necessary information required for the investigation into this urgent matter. The school authorities state that they are appalled at the insensitivity and lack of interest shown by the Department of Education and Science in their concerns about this serious matter affecting the education of these marginalised and disadvantaged children. It is a two mile walk from Cherry Orchard through what they describe as a rather unfriendly environment to St. Louisa's two primary schools at the far end of Drumfinn Road. They are concerned that overstretched parents cannot pay for public transport. They survive day to day on a meagre budget and frequently keep their children out of school. They point out that the Department ought to set a precedent in their favour, especially as it is a short-term commitment until the new school is built.
I thank Deputy Gregory for sharing his time. I raised this issue also with the Minister and the Department and I am sure that today's reply will be similar, that because it is within the two mile limit, a precedent cannot be established. That is technically correct but it is stupid for the reasons that Deputy Gregory has stated.
Deputy O'Sullivan referred to a cost benefit analysis of making a workforce family friendly. Will the Minister make a similar analysis of two pieces of legislation, the recently passed Education Welfare Act and the Children Bill, under both of which a huge amount of money will be spent correcting things that have gone wrong? If we spend a small amount in getting these children to school in safety and comfort, keeping them dry when it is raining, we will achieve much more than trying to solve the problem afterwards. It will also establish in their minds that a child goes to school every day and that coming from Cherry Orchard does not mean that you do not go to school.
Both Deputy Gregory and I have experience of disadvantaged communities in Dublin. This is one of the most disadvantaged. It is an example of the worst kind of housing strategy where houses are built without any facilities. They will have a school but there is no shop. Money is now being spent on community facilities. Once there were almost riots there. Will the Minister make a sensible decision? Do not have us, or those who follow us, asking for special allocation for this area's children when matters go seriously wrong.
It is a pity that on my first appearance at a Dáil Adjournment I do not have good news. I thank both Deputies Gregory and McGennis for raising this matter. It gives an opportunity to outline the circumstances of the case and the Department of Education and Science's policy on such matters.
In order to be eligible for primary school transport children must live at least two miles from their nearest suitable national school as determined by the Department. Apart from services to special schools, the school transport scheme does not operate in the greater Dublin area. Pupils who are eligible for transport in the Dublin area are offered free passes on public bus, train or DART services.
The pupils in Cherry Orchard are within two miles of their nearest suitable schools and do not qualify for free transport under the terms of the scheme. In 1991, the Department of Education considered introducing a special school transport scheme, outside the terms of the existing scheme, to give free or subsidised transport to children living in the Cherry Orchard estate to assist them in attending their local schools in Ballyfermot. This was not feasible as it was impossible to confine it to one small area and it would have resulted in similar demands on a national basis. As the pupils from the area concerned are not eligible under the terms of the scheme, it is not open to the Department of Education and Science to offer free transport or grant-aid in this case.
As I am not the Minister for Education and Science I cannot make a decision, but I will bring to the attention of the Minister of State the special circumstances and the proposal for a short-term solution until the primary school is built.