Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she and her Department expect to be in a position to improve school transport serving primary and second level schools throughout north Kildare and countrywide in line with the enrolment requirements and admissions for September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23854/24]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question seeks to alert the Minister of the need to deal with the issue of school transport. Difficulties have arisen in relation to the availability of school places. It has become necessary for some parents to drop their children to school and pick them up. This involves four trips for parents in the day and in some cases, to more than one school, which makes life extremely difficult. Could the transport system be improved or made more flexible?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, as I said previously, 161,600 children availed of or are availing of the school transport scheme. That comprises 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and almost 7,000 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02 million.

Under the current terms of the school transport scheme, 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 or education centre as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport, who apply and who pay on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may be offered the remote area grant. This grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2 km or more to or from a designated pick-up or set-down point.

Temporary alleviation measures, TAMS, at post-primary level, which have been in place since 2019, are being continued for the 2024-25 school year. Under these measures, transport is provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available, Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process. It should be noted that planning for school transport services in any given school year commences in December to January preceding the start of the school year. In this regard, planning for the 2024-25 school year has already started with my officials in regular engagement with Bus Éireann in this regard.

A review of the school transport scheme has been completed. This review was conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and its sustainability, and to ensure it services students and their families adequately.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her reply. I know she has made huge efforts to try to improve the school transport system where voids occur. Given the information the Minister has given to the House might it be possible, in the circumstances likely to emerge in the not-too-distant future, to introduce a little bit of flexibility into the system in order to ensure the various dots are joined up? This would prevent situations like we have just had where children were asked to get off a bus and walk the rest of the way home. This is an appalling thing to happen and should not occur, for reasons of security and other reasons. I know the Minister did not approve that. If it is possible to anticipate what is going to happen, then it should be possible for the school transport system to be able to respond and that would be hugely helpful.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I want to reiterate that more than 161,000 young people are currently availing of the system. They are being transported to and from school every single day. It is a hugely important service.

I come from a rural constituency. Nobody appreciates or understands its value as much as I do, and I know Deputies across the floor of the House understand that. However, we have a greater ambition in that we want an additional 100,000 students to be in a position to avail of the school transport system. It is for that reason we are looking at flexibilities going forward and reducing the criteria of 3.2 km at primary to 1 km, and the 4.8 km to 2 km. We are also looking at aligning the school transport scheme with the public transport service. That would be a post-primary level, obviously. As requested by parents, we are also considering allowing children with additional needs to travel on mainstream school transport if they so choose, or to continue on a special education service. We will be piloting some of these aspects come September. We will show as much flexibility as possible to parents presently but our overall ambition is a great one, with an additional 100,000 students.