Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I have regularly raised questions in this House about the school transport scheme. While it was certainly welcome the Minister, Norma Foley, carried out the first review of the scheme, which was published in February of this year, the first review since the scheme was established in 1967, we still need to see some of the detail. I have raised this previously. We have seen over recent years an expansion in the number of school bus places available. There has been a significant increase in the number of concessionary tickets, but a very clear commitment was given within School Transport 2030 to introduce a number of pilot bus schemes that would address the issue of distance and the problem of distance to schools. The Minister of State will be aware that the rule requires that, to qualify for an automatic ticket, one travel to one's nearest education centre. That does not suit in every case.

I have been raising the case of roughly 190 students from the north Wexford area who travel to schools in Gorey, Enniscorthy and Wexford. The primary reason they do this is that their nearest education centre is Coláiste an Átha, in Kilmuckridge. It is an excellent small school, but there would be a huge increase in its population if all 190 were to attend there, and there simply is not the space at present. The Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Department sanctioned one of the pilot schemes to be offered to some of the children in that area, that is, children who might have been travelling into Gorey from areas such as Monamolin, Oulart, the Ballagh, Ballyedmond and so on. That was sanctioned earlier this year, but the bus still has not been put on the route. There is a particular desire as well on the part of the parents and the children who travel from that area to use one of the pilot bus schemes to travel into Wexford town. I certainly hope that, as the scheme is expanded, they can be catered for.

I raised this issue six months ago, and at that time the Minister of State, Niall Collins, responded on behalf of the Minister and made clear that a number of the pilot projects for 2024-25 would be put in place and would be in operation. While we have sanction for one in north Wexford, it is still not in operation. At the time, six months ago, I was informed by the Department that it was looking at the possibility of integrating some of these pilot projects with the public transport network but that, if not, it would engage with private contractors. I know the Department and Bus Éireann have been in contact with private contractors in the area, but the Minister of State will appreciate we are now into the middle of November in the 2024-25 school year. The pilot bus schemes are not yet in operation. It is critical we put on the record of the House where we are with those, especially for those parents who have been told the pilot schemes have been sanctioned. If he can, I ask the Minister of State to give us a very clear date as to when the pilot service will actually commence. We have been raising this around extending to those children who are impacted a pilot operating into Wexford town. Again, I know inquiries were made, and I hope the Minister of State might be able to give some answer on that. Even more generally, under the commitment to establish a number of pilot schemes, how many pilot schemes around the country will be established?