Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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75. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the school transport service in September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23965/21]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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School transport applications for the 2021-22 school year are currently being processed by Bus Éireann, but no one knows whether there will be 50% or 100% capacity on second level buses. This issue caused major problems last September and could cause chaos this September for 13,000 post-primary concessionary pupils across the system. We need clarity.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 114,000 children, including 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7 million in 2020. Having regard to available resources, the purpose of the scheme is to support the transport to and from school of children whose places of residence are remote from their nearest schools. All children who are eligible and complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport in the 2021-22 school year where such services are in operation. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis where seats are available after all eligible applicants have been accommodated.

The Department has engaged intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of school transport scheme services for the 2020-21 school year. Based on public health advice, the Department provided for school transport scheme services for the 2020-21 school year to operate fully, but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place and the rolling implementation of measures on post-primary services as required to provide physical distancing using 50% of passenger capacity. My officials engage on a weekly basis with public health consultants from the HSE on the safe operation of schools, including school transport.

The requirement to implement additional measures on school transport services in the 2021-22 school year will be dependent on the prevailing public health advice at that time. It is difficult at this point to make a projection, given that we will be using the most up-to-date advice available to us at the time. In addition, the Department is conducting a review of the school transport scheme to ensure that it is fit for purpose and serves students and their families adequately. All consideration will be given to the public health advice that is available to us in advance of the return to school.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I accept that it is difficult to be definitive at the moment because we must consider the public health advice, but the Minister's officials are engaging with Bus Éireann and I presume that that involves some scenario planning. Could we be looking at a 50% reduction in capacity? What impact would that have on the 13,000 students who avail of concessionary school transport? Their families need clarity for September. Families whose children are starting the junior or senior cycle might have the opportunity to switch schools if clarity is provided. Many parents manage childcare based on the availability of and their access to school transport services. We need clarity.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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To be clear, the process is that all children who are eligible and complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2021-2022 school year. Children who are not eligible may apply for school transport on a concessionary basis. If seats are available, even where capacity is at 50%, they will be made available on a concessionary basis.

I want to be clear, as we look back on what we have achieved in education and forward to what we will do in future, that everything we have done has been, and will be, on the basis of the public health advice that is made available to us. As we began this school year, the advice was that, at second level, school transport would have to operate at 50% capacity. Things are looking much more positive for society in general in terms of how we are progressing. We are hopeful that the reduced capacity on school transport may no longer be required in due course, but I cannot say it will be so. We will operate on the basis of the available public health advice.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Minister. Reading between the lines, what she is saying to me in plain English is that, while she hopes it will not happen, it may be that the advice is that school transport should continue to operate at 50%. If that is the case, there will be 13,000 students left on the sides of our roads from the beginning of September because the capacity is not there while services are operating at 50%.

What was the additional cost for the current academic year of operating the public health measures to reduce capacity on the school transport service? How many buses achieved the 50% capacity requirement? Finally, how many parents availed of the €5.10 a day alternative transport arrangements? If the Minister does not have those figures available, I ask that she provide them to me later.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the Deputy's interest in this issue. I am very clear in terms of school transport. It is important to acknowledge that we are conducting a review of the service. It is my intention that we will do all we can to ensure that as wide an access as possible is provided in terms of eligibility of children and young people for school transport. That is part of the remit of the current review. I have to be honest with the Deputy and say that where pubic health advice pertains, that advice will be followed. If the advice is to operate at 50% capacity, then we will have 50% capacity. However, there is scope within that, as there was previously, for accommodation of those who avail of transport on a concessionary basis. No one who is eligible will be excluded from that remit.

More than 98% of buses have run at 50% capacity, at a cost of between €87 million and €135 million. I can revert to the Deputy with any further information he requires.