82. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether there is Government funding, grant assistance or a transport subsidy available to small rural schools that are forced to travel significant distances, including across the border, to access swimming facilities. [74552/26]

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

Children are eligible for school transport where they satisfy the distance criterion and are attending their nearest national school or post primary education centre, having regard to ethos and language.

In accordance with the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme, school transport services operate during the standard school year and facilitate a child's attendance during normal school opening and closing times.  Transport to extracurricular activities is outside the remit of the scheme.