asked the Minister for Education if he will consider making the travel passes of country students, who enjoy free transport to city schools, valid for city bus services which they have to use on the final stage of their journey.

Under the terms of the free post-primary transport scheme, transport is organised to post-primary centres and not to individual schools. Eligible pupils are brought to a central point and make their own way from there to the school of their choice.

I regret that free transport cannot be made available to pupils who use public bus services to travel from central city areas to schools on the outskirts. My Department, however, pays a special subsidy to CIE in order to ensure that the fares of such pupils are kept at a reasonable level.