asked the Minister for Education if the school transport system for primary and secondary education will be altered in any way during 1979; the nature of any proposed alterations; and the date or dates on which they will come into effect.

15.

asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, to alter in any way the present transport scheme for children in primary and post-primary schools and in particular if he proposes to charge any children for services which at present they obtain free; and when any such changes are being introduced.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together.

The circular which will outline the operation of the school transport scheme for the 1979-80 school year is being prepared at present. When it is available, I will arrange for a copy to be forwarded to the Deputy.

Can the Minister assure the House that he will not propose in the circular that any child who is currently carried free on school transport services will henceforth be required to pay for them?

The Deputy will accept that in cases where circulars are about to issue the normal procedures governing them should not be departed from. The circular will be issuing within the next few weeks by which stage the Deputy will have a copy of it.

Can the Minister not simply answer the question, which is, whether he proposes to charge any children for services which they presently obtain free? Is it not the fundamental right of the House to know the answer to that question now?

I do not have any such proposals.

Will the Minister guarantee that there will be no diminution of entitlement of children in regard to the free transport scheme in the circular he is about to issue?

In respect of the inquiry which took place, arising from the direction of my predecessor, as to whether these children could be charged for the service, it is not my intention to put that into practice.

I did not ask that. It is a very serious question and I would like a straight answer. Is the service available to school children in the context of the school transport system going to be diminished in any way? I did not ask if they are going to be charged. Will the service available be cut back in any way? I would like the Minister of State at the Department of Education to answer.

The Minister of State always answers the questions addressed to him.

I appreciate that.

If the Deputy is referring to an investigation which took place as to whether it would be possible or desirable to charge the children in question for the service, it was not proposed by me to introduce that in respect of the coming year.

Does the Minister's circular refer to any cut-back?

I have said in answer to Deputy Horgan's question, no. I do not know why the Deputy should proceed to look for elaboration.

The Minister of State did not say it as clearly as he has done just now.