Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The school transport system is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The scheme is a demand-led scheme based on the number of eligible children who apply and pay on time. Families who require school transport for 2026-27 were asked to apply and pay for their school bus tickets by the closing date of 8 May. The earlier closing date was put in place so that we could give Bus Éireann additional time to put in place transport arrangements for the upcoming school year. Since this date, Bus Éireann has been assessing all applications and planning routes and services for the 2026-27 school year.

The school transport scheme remains heavily subsidised by the State. The approximate cost to the State per mainstream pupil is currently €1,400 annually, while the cost to the family is €100 per pupil. The total cost of the school transport system in 2025 was €537 million, equating to almost €3 million being spent on the provision of school transport per day. It is important to note that the primary school ticket will cost the equivalent of 55 cent per school day and the cost of a post-primary ticket is approximately 60 cent per day, with no family paying more than €1.32 per day regardless of how many children use the services. Tickets are now being issued to families and will continue to be issued throughout the summer. Where pupils are unsuccessful in receiving tickets, they will be notified as early as possible, and refunds will be issued from Bus Éireann.

As part of the operation of the scheme, Bus Éireann manages the procurement, tender process and contract management arrangements to include services provided by contractors under the school transport scheme. There are currently over 8,000 vehicles operating on the scheme and the competitive procurement process is conducted in accordance with the negotiated procedure under the national and EU procurement legislation. In previous school years, Bus Éireann has reported particular issues with the availability of drivers. This included a number of contractors handing back contracts unexpectedly. I will refer to some of the other details later.

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