I have again had the request for the provision of a school transport service for girls from the Gort catchment area to Seamount secondary school, Kinvara, examined in my Department. Having considered the points put forward by the deputation I met during the summer, the circumstances of the case and, in particular, the catchment boundary system, I have decided that the current arrangements should continue for now. If the management authorities of both schools are agreeable, I would introduce a shared catchment area. This would overcome the current transport dilemma. The management of Seamount secondary school is now prepared to participate in a shared catchment area, but the management of Gort community school is opposed to any change.
In 1998 a small number of girls from the Kinvara catchment area, who would not ordinarily qualify for transport to another catchment area, were allowed to board the bus at the same point as their brothers who had a full transport entitlement to the Gort school provided no extra State cost was involved. This was done in the unusual circumstances where members of the same household were appropriate to separate catchment areas on the basis of their gender.
A similar situation did not exist in respect of girls from the Gort area who wished to travel to the Kinvara school. In their case, there was no question of members of the same household being appropriate to different catchment areas. In addition, there was no existing service to accommodate such pupils. It would also have been a clear infringement of the catchment boundary system which would have required the agreement of both schools to a single catchment area.
In the circumstances, the most that could be offered to these pupils was catchment boundary facilities from the nearest pick-up point in the Kinvara area, provided there was spare accommodation on the bus. If agreement can be reached between the management authorities of both schools on a shared catchment area, I will provide transport to both schools under the normal conditions of the scheme.