Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022-2023 school year, in excess of 149,000 young people, including more than 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported daily. In addition, school transport scheme services have been provided in the 2022-2023 school year to almost 5,500 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9 million.

I appreciate that the school transport scheme is an important service for families and young people. For the 2023-2024 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 or education centre as determined by the Department.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Young people who are not eligible for school transport but who completed the application process on time are considered for spare seats that may exist after those who fall within the criteria have been facilitated.

In addition, pending completion of the review of the school transport scheme, temporary alleviation measures at post-primary will be continued for the 2023-2024 school year. Under these measures, transport will be provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school, who are attending their second nearest school, and who applied by 28 April and paid and entered their medical card details, or whatever the case might be, by 9 June.

Officials in the Department meet with Bus Éireann regularly to discuss these matters. To plan for services for the 2023-2024 school year, officials in the Department and Bus Éireann began the planning process in late 2022 and held numerous meetings to discuss the upcoming school transport requirements. I have also met with Bus Eireann on a number of occasions, most recently in the past number of weeks, on these matters.

For the first time, the payment closing dates were brought forward to allow more time for Bus Éireann to source capacity for the upcoming school year.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

An extensive media campaign, which included advertisements in local and national media, was run by my Department in tandem with Bus Éireann's reminders to families and social media messaging to encourage families to apply and pay or enter medical card details on time. Both my Department and Bus Éireann will continue to engage throughout the summer months.

The Bus Éireann family portal has closed for all applications and payments and will reopen on 30 June 2023. This closure is necessary to ensure Bus Éireann can process applications, arrange transport, assess all applications, determine whether they are eligible or concessionary, and cater for temporary alleviation measures, TAMS, as soon as possible for the 2023-2024 school year. Any application made after 28 April 2023 or any payment or medical card details submitted after 9 June 2023 are late applications. Where a late application is made, a ticket is not guaranteed. Bus Éireann plans to issue tickets to eligible students who have applied and paid or entered medical card details on time in July. After this allocation is complete, where seats are available, concessionary tickets will be issued.

Pending completion of the school transport review, there will be no removal or downsizing of buses or routes for the 2023-2024 school year.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the importance of the scheme. I know it myself as I come from a rural constituency. Very specific measures were taken to ensure there would be earlier allocation of tickets. For the first time, the payment closing dates were brought forward.

The family portal to process applications is closed and it will reopen on 30 June 2023, which is imminent. This closure is necessary to ensure Bus Éireann can process applications, arrange transport, assess all applications, etc. Any applications made after 28 April 2023 or any payments made after 9 June 2023 are considered late applications.

Specifically, in terms of the number, Bus Éireann is currently doing a body of work where we have found, for example, some applicants might have applied twice. They might have used two different email addresses. Some might have applied but not followed through. That body of work is ongoing but nearing completion. There is certainly an increase but I will give the Deputy the full extent of it in as short a time as possible. This question of duplicate applications is still being worked through.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the importance of receiving information as early as possible. It is for that reason we brought everything forward this year. Therefore, it is our expectation that, well in advance of the return to school, tickets will have been issued and people will know clearly where they stand.

Significant value is provided by the school transport system. The Deputy will appreciate that, as a cost-of-living measure, previously all fees were waived. This year, I accept it is a demand on parents but it is a much lesser cost than had been in operation in previous years. It costs €50 for a primary school pupil and €75 at post-primary, and there is a significant cap of €125 for a family.

I acknowledge the co-operation across this House and, indeed, in the Seanad. Everybody was made aware of all of the changing timelines.

Suffice to say, there will be a much earlier issuing of tickets.