asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that the operation of the transport arrangements for pupils in the Rathcabin and Lorrha districts of County Tipperary, whereby some pupils have been transferred to the Birr area and others to the Portumna area, has interrupted their studies at Borrisokane vocational school; and that pupils in these areas had privately arranged their own transport system to Borrisokane prior to the introduction of the CIE school transport system; and if there is any action he can take to improve the situation.

The scheme of free transport approved by the Government provides that such transport will be available to the nearest centre to pupils who reside more than three miles from a post-primary school.

This is the basic principle underlying the scheme and must be applied to all areas in the country. The fact that a privately organised transport service subsidised through travel scholarships by the North Tipperary Vocational Education Committee, previously operated from the Rathcabin and Lorrha districts to Borrisokane does not constitute a valid reason for the continuance of such a service.

I am aware, however, of the desirability of allowing pupils who had spent a few years in Borrisokane Vocational School to complete their course there.

With that in view I authorised some weeks ago the re-routing of the service to Borrisokane so that the bus could come as far as Lorrha. Existing students from Rathcabin are being given free transport to Borrisokane from suitable pick-up points on the bus route.

I am thankful to the Minister that he has given this concession but he and the House must bear in mind that we in North Tipperary were one of the first communities in the country to try to advocate free or semi-free transport for children. The pupils from Rathcabin who are completing their second, third or fourth terms are expected to change classes, teachers and counties and to go into a strange county——

Has the Deputy a question?

I am only pointing it out to the Minister. These children have to go into Galway and Laois-Offaly. The Minister was man enough and generous enough to go a certain distance and for the sake of a few miles, let him go the rest of the way.