Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Before I address the issues raised, I will provide an outline of the extent of the school transport scheme. The scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and 38% in concessionary tickets issued in the current 2022-23 school year compared to the 2021-22 school year. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 4,500 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338 million.

The school transport scheme is an important service for families and children. The purpose of the scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remotely from their nearest school. A review of the scheme is ongoing and is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensuring it serves students and their families adequately. Phase 1 of the review examined the impact of eligibility criteria on mainstream pupils who were eligible for transport to their nearest school but attending their next nearest school. The report was completed in June 2021.

Following consideration of this report, for the 2021-22 school year, the provision of temporary alleviation measures was approved for transport for post-primary students who are otherwise eligible for school transport but were attending their second-nearest school and had applied and paid on time. These measures have been continued for the current 2022-23 school year, and will again continue in the 2023-24 school year pending completion of the review.

These measures mean that transport will be provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school, and who apply for school transport by 28 April 2023, which is tomorrow, and pay for a ticket or enter their medical card details by 9 June 2023. It is planned the review will be completed shortly, at which point decisions on the future operation of the Department’s school transport scheme will be taken.

For the 2023-24 school year it remains that children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post-primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary school as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition, as already mentioned, temporary alleviation measures will be continued for the 2023-24 school year, pending completion of the review.

Children who are not eligible for school transport but who complete the application process on time are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated. Such seats are referred to as concessionary seats. On the specific issues raised by the Deputy it is understood that the pupils in the area referred to are attending their third or fourth closest school and, therefore, are not eligible for transport under the terms of the school transport scheme. However, if families have applied to attend their nearest school in regard to ethos and language and have been advised by the school authorities that it is full, the Department of Education will consider whether students can be deemed eligible for transport to the next nearest school. These families can submit details to the school transport section in the Department of Education where their requests can be assessed. I accept that the Deputy probably knows all of this but it is important to say it. It is particularly important considering that the deadline for applications is tomorrow and to remind people of this. I note the Deputy's message with regard to the flexibility that is required.

See this speech in context