Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. In the round, more than 150,000 students are availing of school transport. There has been a 23% increase in overall uptake of tickets this year, with a 33% increase in the number of concessionary tickets. Of the €69 million provided for in the Supplementary Estimate, €20 million relates to the waiver of the scheme in the first place. Additional eligibility will account for around €11 million of that, while €15 million is provided for fuel subvention and €6 million is allocated for enhanced Covid-19 cleaning and so forth. Regarding the specific number of students who have been accommodated, provision is demand led. Bus Éireann is still working through this and making provision for routes and additional places on buses, so the final figures are not yet available but will be in due course. I will make them available to the Deputy when I have them.