asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that a school bus ticket has been withdrawn from a student (details supplied) in County Westmeath who is attending St. Mary's College, Mullingar; the reason his brother and all other families from the same townland have been allowed to retain their tickets to the same school.

The student in question resides in the Moate post-primary catchment area and he is entitled to free transport to the Moate post-primary centre. Under the terms of the post-primary transport scheme he could avail of catchment boundary facility to Mullingar catchment area provided all eligible children were catered for, that no extra cost to the State is incurred and that there is room on the existing service to Mullingar. The service to Mullingar is full at present, catering for a substantial number of eligible children and a small number of pupils availing of catchment boundary facilities, one of whom is this student's brother. A school-bus ticket was not issued to the student in question and, therefore, could not have been withdrawn.