Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, the Minister waives all fees for the school transport scheme. This measure is saving families up to €650 a year. This very substantial cost-of-living measure should be acknowledged in any comment on this scheme. It was coupled with an increase in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance and the extension of the school meals programme. Over 124,000 tickets have issued, an increase of 21,000 over last year, and it is higher again if we include special needs children. We have 21,000 more children on school buses this year, which is a 20% increase. There are issues as a result of that, particularly in terms of those who may have applied late with regard to tickets and so on, but we are doing everything we can. The Minister will be engaging with the education committee tomorrow in the House and working across government in terms of improving the situation for those who still have not got discretionary tickets. Because of the increase, some people lost out, which I acknowledge, but we are trying to resolve that.

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