In order to be eligible for free transport under the terms of the primary school transport scheme, children must live at least two miles from, and be attending, their nearest national school. In the case of amalgamations, the national school children for whom the closed national school would have been the nearest, had it remained open, are eligible for transport to the school of amalgamation only. Eligibility is determined by distance to nearest national school therefore, school catchment area stipulations do not apply. As a rule primary school transport routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 1.5 miles to travel to a pick-up point.