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, were transported daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The cost in 2021 was more than €289 million. It is worth noting that in recent years the number of children using the scheme has increased by in excess of 8,000. During the previous academic year, there was an increase in capacity to cater for more than 1,700 additional pupils arriving from Ukraine.

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 and how it operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and whether it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families. The review will also consider the objectives of the school transport scheme in the context of other Government policies as they relate to school transport and, in particular, the potential of the school transport scheme to promote sustainability in transport, reduce car journeys and support rural development.

The review encompasses the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs. The review of the primary and post-primary school transport schemes will examine each element of the schemes and include eligibility criteria, trends, costs, 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. Following commencement of this review, the steering group presented me with an initial interim report. Following consideration of this report, I approved the extension of temporary alleviation measures for the 2021-22 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 or guardians and students who use the service, as well as those who do not use the service but who would like to. These engagements have yielded extensive data, which are now being considered. The group has also consulted a broad array of stakeholders, including schools, special education interest groups, industry representatives and other Departments.

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