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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

School transport eligibility

Summary

Deputy Tully raised lack of school transport for pupils in Cavan and nearby areas who were being ruled ineligible. The Minister said changes were being proposed to relax distance rules and improve access to bus places.

I want to raise the issue of school transport. There are a number of schools in my area, in Cavan, including a DEIS school in Cavan town, St. Clare's, with no school transport system in place. Yet some students live quite a distance from the school and require transport. They are being told they are not eligible because they live too close to the school or are not attending the nearest school. Most children leaving Castlerahan national school will attend St. Oliver Post Primary School, Oldcastle. Again, they are being told they are not eligible for school transport. Children in the Muff area, outside Kingscourt, who want to attend Coláiste Dún an Rí, Kingscourt, have the same issue. Roads are too narrow and too dangerous to travel on. The parents are working. We need a school transport system that will bring the students to school. The school transport review has recommended that the Department phase out the distance requirement and the requirement to attend one's nearest school. Can that be expedited? There is talk of a number of pilot projects for this September on putting school transport in situations under those new criteria. How are those pilot areas being selected?

Comment on this

I think we can all see this in our constituencies, particularly over the summer months. I refer to the challenges and the parents who get on to us because of a lack of space or because of their inability to get their children on the school buses. The Deputy is right that changes are being proposed to take away some of the distance requirements and other measures. I will have to come back to her on a timeline as to how that will be rolled out, but the objective of the Minister is to make sure that any child who needs a space on a bus, to either his or her nearest school or the school he or she is attending, can, insofar as possible, get that. I will come back to the Deputy with more details if I can.

Comment on this