Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pilot schemes run under the revised school transport scheme for 2025-26; the current stage of each pilot run under the revised scheme; when the revised school transport scheme for 2025-26 will be ready; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17170/25]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Every day, under the school transport scheme, thousands of students are taken to and from school. It is an invaluable service for many thousands of families.

The service relies on rigid rules that, unfortunately, do not recognise, for example, that students may not be attending the immediately adjacent school or are perhaps going to schools their families had associations with over many years. Regarding the pilot review, will the Minister give an overview of where those pilots are now? Is the Minister ready to advance a new scheme?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The school transport 2030 report, which was published in early 2024, marks the largest review of the school transport scheme since it was established in 1967. We are committed to working to achieve the report’s recommendations of expanding access to the scheme in order that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030 and to continue to improve the scheme in order that it provides a valuable service for those families who rely on it while providing value for money to the Exchequer. The recommended changes to the future operation of the scheme include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport. A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations, which is how we have to progress it, began at the start of the current school year.

As indicated at the time of the launch of the review, a number of pilots were to be trialled in 2024-2025, as the Deputy mentioned, in conjunction with the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann. As also indicated at that time, it was intended that, following closure of the application process for the 2024-2025 school year, consideration would be given to further potential pilots. A total of 14 pilot projects are under way this school year. These pilots are being evaluated and, once we get the information, they will provide valuable insights into the impact of increased demand on the scheme, the potential for integrating public transport with school transport services, and opportunities to promote more sustainable modes of transport. The findings from the evaluation will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national roll-out of a revised school transport scheme. Planning is under way already for the 2025-2026 school year and further information will be available shortly.

The pilots are still under way and we still need to get the feedback from them, but it is extremely important we look at as many ways as possible in which we can provide school transport. If a bus route is already available and has space to accommodate young schoolchildren, then that is what we need to look at. We must also look at expanding the criteria and what other types of routes we might be able to provide. This is what the Department is looking at now. Obviously, we must have the resources to roll this out in the year ahead.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. Will she outline if all the planned pilot schemes got under way? I understand there are 14 of them, but did all the pilot schemes that were planned get under way? The transport scheme is currently open for applications and parents will be making applications for students in the weeks to come. Often, families are waiting right up to the last minute in September to find out if they will have a service. Time is getting very tight now. Will there be enough time over the summer to have an extensive scheme introduced for September or will there be a need to prioritise certain aspects? If there is going to be prioritisation, what changes is the Minister aiming to prioritise for next September and September of the following year? Will she give an overview in this regard, please?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I add my voice to Deputy Moynihan's. Every year, I dread this time when the school portal opens because we live in a Bermuda Triangle-type area between places called Watergrasshill, Carrignavar, Glenville and Whitechurch. There are always issues with proximity to secondary schools. I understand there were 14 pilots last year. Will the Minister elaborate on the nature of some of those pilots, if we are likely to see an expansion of those 14 pilots and what kind of criteria will be prioritised specifically to give schools like those I spoke of a chance to be included?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank both Deputies. I acknowledge this is very stressful for many parents, families and children. It is an issue we are all dealing with. I am dealing with it in my constituency as well. I refer to where there is no particular bus route in place or where parents are looking to see how the criteria might change and how soon we can implement it. While I cannot give the Deputies all those details now, I can say all the pilots have progressed. We hope to get a review of how they have worked and are working as soon as possible, which will then feed into any possible changes that may take place this year. Again, that must be subject to resource availability. All this must be taken in the round. It is important to say and stress that 172,500 children are already getting transport to school every day in 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes. The daily trips cover 100 million km. A huge level of investment, therefore, is already going into our school transport.

We are now trying to see how we can progress this even further and include even more children and ensure we add additional routes, as well as exploring where we can sync up with other existing routes. This is part of what the pilot process is doing now. The Deputies are right. The applications are open now. The closing date for new applications is Friday, 25 April, so I encourage parents, families and students to ensure they get their applications in before the deadline. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, the Department and I will be working with families and students to ensure that, insofar as possible, we start the expansion to be able to reach the 100,000 extra students over the coming years. It is something that will obviously have to be done on a phased basis.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Focusing on the specific point again, what kinds of changes are being prioritised for each year? It is reasonable that not everything would be done in one go and the process would be phased in. What kind of changes are being proposed for phase 1 and each of the subsequent phases? Will the Minister give an outline in this regard? In communities where people are making applications now, in fast-growing communities such as in Cloughduv, for example, a large number of applicants will want to go to secondary school in Ballincollig and not necessarily to Coachford, where Bus Éireann's current scheme would be sending them, or perhaps to Bandon. Can those communities reasonably expect a new scheme to be in place for their students in September? The time is very tight. Will the Minister set out a list of the priorities to be able to do that? I refer to trying to get an understanding of what those priorities are.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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What I can say is we are working on things now. While I cannot set out now whether there will be changes or what possible changes might take place this year, I can say the pilots are under way and we are evaluating them. We are also looking at other potential measures that might be applied for this coming year. This must depend on the resources available. There is a very clear commitment in the programme for Government and a very clear report setting out that we need 100,000 new additional spaces. We are absolutely committed to providing them, but it will have to be done on a phased basis. This is what we are working on now. The Minister of State and I hope to be in a position to be able to outline and set out that undertaking as soon as possible. I really do understand and appreciate the difficulties. I know many parents in my area of my constituency who for many years have been looking to get a new bus route. It has not fitted into the criteria that have existed to date. I know, therefore, there are many children looking to see how progress can be made and how quickly we can make it. We are working on this endeavour.