Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on the Department's behalf and more than 82 million km are covered annually. In the region of 113,000 children, including more than 8,000 children with special needs, are transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

The current system for determining eligibility for school transport at post-primary level has been in place for more than 40 years. When the Government announced the introduction of free post-primary education in 1966, the country was divided for planning purposes into geographic districts, also referred to as catchment areas. Each area had several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. Post-primary pupils are eligible for transport if they reside 4.8 km or more from their local post-primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which they live. The definition of school transport catchment boundaries has been the cause of many submissions and representations to the Department over the years. It is widely considered by many that the current catchment boundary areas do not reflect changed demographics. Changes in the post-primary school transport scheme were announced in the 2011 budget. This was passed in December 2010 under a different mandate.

One of the changes to take effect from the commencement of the 2012-13 school year means that the use of the catchment area system as a means of determining eligibility will cease for all pupils newly entering a post-primary school. From this date, school transport eligibility for all new pupils entering a post-primary school will be determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest post-primary education centre, having regard to ethos and language. This will applied equitably on a national basis. In general, eligible pupils, who are currently availing of school transport and who meet the distance criterion of 4.8 km, will retain their eligibility for the duration of their post-primary education, provided there is no change in their current circumstances. Pupils who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the scheme. The general approach of the Department in respect of the planning of school infrastructure is to plan on the basis of attendance of pupils at their nearest primary schools and that those primary schools then feed into attendance at the nearest post-primary schools or the nearest post-primary centre generally. The changes announced in post-primary school transport services are in line with this approach and will result in a more efficient and cost-effective system.

See this speech in context