The government will press ahead with cuts to the school bus transport scheme.

Junior Education Minister Ciarán Cannon told more than 400 parents and teachers at a meeting in Listowel in Co. Kerry last night the country is borrowing €350 million a week and savings had to be made.

He says €17 million in savings on school bus transport had to be made between now and 2014.

These cuts are measures introduced in Budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fail-Green government but are being implemented by the Fine Gael-Labour coalition.

From next September primary school children will be charged a minimum of €50 per year for bus transport rising to a maximum charge of €650 per family.

The minimum number of children required to establish a bus route will rise from 7 to 10.

Children who had free transport to amalgamated schools will now have to pay and from next year.

While children starting primary school will qualify for transport to the nearest school which may not be in their parish.

Minister Cannon said costs of school bus transport had risen from €50 million in 1997 to €180 million last year despite the numbers using the service having fallen in that period.

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