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 Deputy. We are working through the review. As I stated, it is a significant body of work. People wanted extensive engagement. They wanted all voices to be heard and all views to be considered as part of the review. We have thrown the net wide and there have been 8,000 engagements with parents, 2,000 engagements with students and engagements with bus providers, bus operators and other interested parties. The review was open to all of society and, as I said, involved our European counterparts. It is a significant body of work. We are currently working through the analysis and it is my hope and expectation that it will be completed in the coming months. We are doing all we can to ensure that will be the case.

Regarding the budgetary considerations, I have made clear that we were tasked with and had the opportunity to introduce free transport or waive transport fees for those who were eligible for the scheme. That has been achieved but the Deputy is correct that there is a cohort of students who are not eligible for the scheme but were previously in receipt of tickets as concessionary holders where there was capacity.

I have confirmed that I am in discussions with the Minister, Deputy McGrath, in that respect on the upcoming budget to see if there is an opportunity for that cohort of students who are outside eligibility but have previously received tickets as concessionary ticket holders and where there is capacity. That discussion is ongoing and will be completed before next Tuesday. That is a definite I can give. It is the Department of Education going a step beyond the eligibility criteria, and that is important.

On the review, the eligibility and the timing of different things, everything is part of the review at this time and it will all be considered as part of the review.

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