Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year more than 121,400 children, including in excess of 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported every day to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of more than €289 million in 2021.

Under the terms of the school transport schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post-primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post-primary school or education centre as determined by the Department or Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

As the Deputy is aware, the Department commenced a review of the school transport scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, how it operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families. The review encompasses the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs and the primary and post-primary school transport schemes in terms of how each element of the schemes currently operates, including eligibility criteria, trends, costs and cost drivers, and overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the schemes. The review will also examine the potential for integration of different strands of the scheme and a more co-ordinated approach with other Departments that also use transport services.

Following commencement of this review, the steering group presented me with an initial interim report in June 2021. Following consideration of this report, I approved the extension of temporary alleviation measures for the 2021-2022 school year for transport for post-primary students who were otherwise eligible for school transport but were attending their second-nearest school and had applied and paid on time.

Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme are now taking place in the next phase of the review which is under way. The technical working group has undertaken extensive consultation over recent months, including running a public survey for parents and guardians and students who use the service and those who do not use the service but who would like to do so.  The group has also consulted a broad array of stakeholders, including schools, special education interest groups, industry representatives and other Departments.

See this speech in context