Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 September 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I just want to be clear that this is a measure introduced as a consequence of an unprecedented cost-of-living challenge. We could have envisaged this cost-of-living challenge or that we would have almost come out of Covid-19 and go into a war in Ukraine, something that we would have hoped we would never have seen. However, because of that turmoil in the world, there has been a knock-on impact not just for this country but for other countries. Government has stepped up to the mark in terms of additional funding of more than €2.4 billion. As part of that, there was an opportunity to do something within the Department of Education that would benefit families in terms of saving them money. We were given and took that opportunity in late June. It has resulted in savings for many families. Originally, the cap was €650 and then €500. The cap was reduced and 124,000 children and young people are benefitting from it at this point.

In terms of concessionary tickets, I hear and know of the individual cases. I would not want any family to be in that position. However, in any system there is an eligibility criteria. Every year there are concessionary tickets and where there is capacity, students get a place on the bus. Some have been very fortunate to secure that year on year. However, they also know that year on year that can change. There can be a new housing development in their area, which means more eligibles come on stream, so there is less availability for concessionary tickets. More families could move into an area. That is the issue with concessionary tickets. We are looking at everything in the round as part of the review, and eligibility criteria is part of that review.

The Senator referenced her own area. There has been a 23% increase in the availability of tickets in Galway; 33% increase in Roscommon; an increase of one third nationally in concessionary tickets alone made available; and a 21% increase in the overall number of tickets being made available.

I have been clear on the 6,000 who have been impacted as concessionary ticket holders. I had a budget made available to me and we sorted all of those who were eligible, who now have free tickets. I recognise that there is a cohort and I recognise their individual circumstances, and I have said I am engaging to see if there is an additional pot of funding that can be used specifically to address concessionary ticket holders who previously had tickets and what capacity is available. Those discussions are now being held in the context of this budget. It is the only mechanism open to me. There are ongoing discussions with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The focus is on addressing the concessionary ticket holders. They are concessionary tickets because they did not meet the criteria, but I understand that there are individual circumstances, and for that reason I am progressing it.

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