Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will see with the funding that has been allocated, there was a permanent increase in the base last year for school transport, which is welcome. It is an additional €54 million on top of that. As part of the cost-of-living, it was an additional €58 million which was provided for. This is where the Deputy will see the two figures in the graph that he has been given. The differentiation is €58 million. Technically, what was being paid out for this year went into last year’s figure. It distorts it slightly. In a similar vein, I will be looking to make sure that we can continue to expand and not just stand still. A pilot was introduced last year for a school transport scheme. We will be looking to maintain that and expand that further, making sure that the 173,000 children who are currently being supported through the scheme can increase further. That will require funding. The commitment in the programme for Government is to do that over the lifetime of the Government. It will take a number of budgets. It will take time, but there is a commitment to do that.