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

The number of people who have been availing of school transport is increasing. We have over 170,000, with a significant number of young children with special educational needs included in that as well. The figures the Deputy has here are somewhat distorted by the €58 million that was allocated at the end of last year in the cost-of-living measures. The €58 million as part of the €110 million package had to be spent last year but it will benefit students this year. If you take €58 million away from the €509,669,000 and technically add it to the other column, €382,669,000, then you significantly close the gap in that regard. Because it is demand-led and we are only looking at the provision for this September coming, we have to work through what that looks like. The intention is very clear. The €58 million is essentially a double impact because of the way it has been allocated and the time in which it has been allocated. The gap is not as big as it looks. The money that was given last year has actually been helping to reduce the cost for students and parents this year.

Overall the ambition is to expand by 100,000, which will require not just significant funding but will mean more buses and drivers and making sure we are being as smart as we possibly can in developing and delivering routes and providing transport for children. That is what we are doing at the moment with the pilots. We are looking at how we can expand it and what way they are working. This coming September there will be further pilots as part of that to allow us to expand, hopefully.