Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and compliment the Minister for her work to date in that area - work that, unfortunately, is ongoing and has given us all a great number of headaches over the past six months or so. It involves the school catchment areas around north Kildare; and the feeder schools to post-primary schools and the community college in Maynooth from Straffan, Clane and quite a number from Rathcoffey; and a growing population and its needs.

We have tried several remedies and have had numerous discussions so far without a result. It was not due to lack of interest on the Minister's part but we appear to have run into a brick wall every time we approach the school transport section. The school transport section has immediate answers, some of which are totally unrealistic. One child who could not be accommodated on school transport because they were a certain distance from the school was advised to go to the scoil lán Ghaeilge, which would be ridiculous if they were not in a scoil lán Ghaeilge before. That obviously did not arise but the school transport section came up with this issue.

I believe there is a need for a full review of the school transport section in that area with a view to identifying what can be made to work given the exigencies within which the transport system must operate. We recognise that a number of people earlier in the year had a place and then the extra places had to be allocated. In recognition of needs, the Minister kindly extended the service. Unfortunately, people who previously had concessionary passes ended up with no pass while people who previously had no pass ended up with full passage entitlement and free school transport. Without going around the houses several times and talking about it again and again, there should be a specific investigation focused entirely on school transport in north Kildare with its various pressures so we can find out what can be done in the short term so that parents can plan for the future without having the constant worry of how to deal with the situation.

The situation has changed a great deal because of the price of houses, etc. Both parents have to go to work. In the rural areas in question, there is a situation whereby they cannot do so or they cannot do school transport. They certainly cannot do the two. This creates a lot of problems. I ask that the Minister go down the route of a having review.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta os rud é gur ardaigh sé an t-ábhar seo sa Teach. Ar dtús ba mhaith liom cur síos a dhéanamh ar an scéim iompar scoile atá againn sa tír seo.

The school transport 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 with special educational needs, will be transported to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country on a daily basis, including in Kildare and including from my constituency to Kildare. There are children crossing county boundaries regularly.

There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and 38% in tickets issued to concessionary tickets in the current school year compared with the previous year. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for more than 5,000 children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9 million. This is a big investment on the part of the State. The school transport scheme is an important service for families and children. Its purpose is to support the transport to and from school of children who reside in places that are remote from their nearest schools.

A review of the school transport scheme commenced in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that 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.

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 who were attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time. These measures have been continued for the current school year, and will again continue in the 2023-24 school year pending completion of the review.

For the 2023-24 school year, 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 applied for school transport by 28 April and who pay for tickets or who enter medical card details by 9 June. Phase 2 of the review has progressed significantly and is being completed in tandem with phase 3, which is well under way. 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 km from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post primary school having regard to ethos and language. Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition, as I mentioned, temporary alleviation measures have been continued for the next school year, pending completion of the review.

Children who are not eligible for school transport but who completed the application process on time are considered for spare seats that may become available after eligible children have been facilitated. Such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

After the Deputy’s next contribution, I will refer to some of the specifics in Kildare.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am aware of the efforts being made to resolve the difficulties in this particular situation that effect both constituencies and that will continue to so do. Whatever has created the problems, there is a need to restore public confidence in the system, particularly because of the various competing issues that confront parents these days having to go out to work and ensuring that their children are accommodated in terms of transport.

I recall one of the most frustrating discussions I ever had with the school transport section. I am sure the Minister of State has had similar conversations. The staff of the section were always able to explain on paper what it meant, but I have seen situations, as, I am sure, has the Minister of State, whereby a route as measured by the transport section was not the same as the route that was taken by the school transport system because of the road conditions. While the same route was taken by parents delivering their children to the particular school involved, using the same road as the transport system and going in the school gate directly behind the relevant bus. To my mind, it is absolutely ridiculous to have a situation like that.

I am asking about the situation in north Kildare generally and particularly around Rathcoffey, Prosperous, Clane, etc., where an extra school bus would make a huge difference. I thought that extra school bus had already been provided. The problem is that if you keep the school buses small enough, there will not be space for everybody. I ask that a special effort be made to increase the capacity of the bus system to accommodate the students and reflect the demand arising from increases in population.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I will bring those specific issues back to the Department. It has received correspondence in relation to school transport in the north Kildare area from families who have not received tickets for the current school year and who are not eligible for transport under the terms of the school transport scheme. If families have applied to attend their nearest school in regards to ethos and language and have been advised by the school authorities that it is full, the Department will consider if students can be deemed eligible for transport to the next nearest school. In order to establish that the nearest school is full parents must provide: the steps taken to enrol their child in the nearest and next nearest schools; evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline specified by the school; and a letter from the school authorities confirming that the school was full at the time of enrolment.

These families can submit details to the school transport section in the Department at school_transport@education.gov.ie. To date the section says that it has not received the required documentation that I just detailed from any families in the area. In cases where the families are attending their third or fourth nearest school, the above documentation will be required for each school in turn. Families who require information in relation to the schools nearer to them can contact the school transport section. The section has outlined steps that it says have not been done. If they are done, and the section can establish that, then the pupils should be entitled to the school transport under the temporary alleviation scheme pending the outcome of the review. I encourage the Deputy to follow that up-----

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Will do.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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-----and to come back to us if that does not succeed. The idea is that children who need to get to school who have been refused into other schools because of the growing population need transport.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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We will move on to the third matter because Deputy Pringle is not present.