Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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It is good to see the Minister of State. I know that he, like me, recognises the tremendous contribution the Educate Together movement has made to the education system in this country. As a school patron, Educate Together operates a national network of 118 schools in Ireland, with 97 primary and 21 second-level schools catering to over 40,000 students. Educate Together schools provide a unique, inclusive and equality-based school ethos, as set out in its charter. The charter describes schools that guarantee equality of access and esteem to children, irrespective of their social, cultural or religious background, are learner-centred in their approach to education and are run as participatory democracies with respectful partnership between parents, pupils and staff. Also enshrined in the charter is an obligation to put students at the centre of everything the schools do. All children have equal access to school, and no one religion or world view is given priority over another in Educate Together schools.

I was shocked to discover that when allocating places for school transport, neither the Department nor Bus Éireann recognised the distinctive ethos of Educate Together. Last month, parents in Castleconnell received a letter from Bus Éireann which sets out the basic approach in terms of eligibility for school transport. It states that under the terms of the Department of Education post-primary school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann having regard to ethos and language. So far, so good. However, the letter goes on to exclude the secondary school student in question, stating incorrectly that the Educate Together school in Limerick is not his nearest, having regard to ethos and language, and declaring that Newport College post-primary school is nearer.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Newport school is not an Educate Together school. It is not even in the same county. This is clear evidence that neither the Department nor Bus Éireann recognise that Educate Together has a distinct ethos when it comes to school transport. Last month, my comrade Deputy Quinlivan received a response to a parliamentary question from the Department which stated, "With regard to ethos, the Department of Education classifies schools as being one of the following - of religious denomination, interdenominational or multi-denominational." The response goes on to state, "The scheme has regard to ethos and language in that exceptions to eligibility for the scheme are considered in the case of minority religions and the Irish language." In 2024 this definition of exceptions is outdated, extraordinarily narrow and, frankly, embarrassing. It is a 19th century policy for a 21st century society. For the record, the parents of the child in this case drove their son to the other side of town for two years in order to bring him to an ET primary school because they very much are invested in the Educate Together ethos.The result in this particular case is that approximately 20 children, who had access to a bus when the Educate Together school was housed in temporary premises, have since been denied school transport since the permanent school building was opened last September. We have the grossly unfair situation of two children living next door to each other and one of them having access to a bus to Castletroy College while the other who attends Educate Together, also in Castletroy, has no school bus. The attitudes of the Department and Bus Éireann in respect of school ethos can best be summed up as Catholic, Church of Ireland and then the rest of you. It is not good enough and I ask the Minister of State to intervene and give the distinctive ethos of Educate Together the recognition it deserves. Just because it does not involve religion does not mean it does not deserve recognition. I have not even dealt with the environmental details or that it makes no sense to force parents to bring their children to school in their cars, rather than provide a school bus. Hopefully the Minister of State will get the gist of what I mean. My question is simple. As the Department of Education is in complete denial of the ethos of Educate Together when it comes to school transport, what is the Minister of State going to do about it?

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I should outline that I am here on behalf of the Minister for Education. The Department of Education does not come under my remit but I have a very detailed statement, which runs to ten pages. I do not think I will have time to deliver all of it. Before addressing the specific matter raised, I will provide an outline of the extent of the school transport scheme. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 161,600 children, including more 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from the Ukraine, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382 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 their nearest national school and are attending that school, having regard for ethos and language. At post-primary level, they are eligible for the scheme where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post-primary educational centre, as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to the ethos and the language. Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time, that is, apply and 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 services are available may be offered the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. The remote area grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2 km or more to or from a designated pick-up and 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 schools, for those who are eligible for transport to their nearest school, who are attending their second year of 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 and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. 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 year will commence in the December to January period preceding the start of that school year. In this regard, planning for the 2024-25 school year is well under way and Department officials regularly engage with Bus Éireann. A review of the school transport scheme has been completed and the School Transport 2030 report has been published. This report was conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately. It marks the largest review of the school transport scheme since it was established back in 1967. The Government is 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.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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While I appreciate the Minister of State standing in today, I am very disappointed with what the statement he has been handed delivers, because it has not addressed the key issue. I have established the key issue is, without doubt, that the school ethos of Educate Together is not recognised by the Department or Bus Éireann when it comes to providing school transport places. That is the fundamental point I came here to deliver this morning and in fairness to the Minister of State, the people who handed him that statement decided not to address that issue at all. I ask the Minister of State to address that. I have great respect for him, I worked with him here in the Seanad before he became a Minister of State. There is something fundamentally wrong with the current status. School transport should recognise the distinctive ethos of and include children who go to Educate Together schools. That is clearly not the case at the moment. To be clear, the transport review is welcome but will be of no comfort to the current children. It will be years before we get those school transport places. There is a fundamental issue of fairness and equality here. We recognise the ethos of Educate Together as a distinct ethos yet neither the Department the Minister of State is representing here today nor Bus Éireann do and that is not good enough.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I will certainly take on board what the Senator has set out. As I said, a review has been published that sets out clearly the reform that is going to be implemented and the target of 100,000 additional students benefiting between now and 2030. In other words, the current capacity allows for over 161,000 children to travel on school transport. We are talking about adding another 100,000 on to that so it is being developed and it will be reviewed year on year between now and 2030. As for the particular issue the Senator has raised, it is obviously an issue about which I will go back to the Department. I have noted the Senator's concerns and it is important that the maximum number of people can benefit from the transport made available and that is what the Department has been trying to ensure.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The third Commencement matter is in the name of Senator Garvey and will be taken by Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. I apologise to the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, and other Members who were brought in.