asked the Minister for Education the estimated number of students in Dublin who benefited from the student fares' subsidy during the school year 1981-82.

It is estimated that about 50,000 pupils in the Dublin area benefited from the subsidy during the 1981-82 school year.

Is the Minister aware that the withdrawal of this service will affect those 50,000 students in the way I mentioned earlier? This is the only money the Dublin children get out of a fund of £25 million and it should be borne in mind that their parents are the main contributors to that fund.

A question, please.

Would the Minister accept that it is unjust and inequitable that the only concession these 50,000 Dublin school children were getting from the fund has been withdrawn in toto?

There are many pupils throughout the country who are not available or eligible for the service provided in Dublin city. I have explained many times in this House — at Private Members' Time and Question Time — that this decision had to be taken. I do not accept the Deputy's assessment that this was a savage move which will affect children to the extent he claimed.

22.