Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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549. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has examined the possibility of introducing a grant scheme to purchase bicycles under the school transport scheme; and if further consideration to same will be given. [6020/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of my Department's Primary and Post Primary School Transport Schemes is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school or education centre.

The distance eligibility criterion is 3.2 kilometres and 4.8 kilometres for primary and post primary children respectively.

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes and endeavours to ensure that each eligible child has a safe and reasonable level of school transport service while at the same time, ensuring that vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective manner.

The cost of the School Transport Scheme was over €172m in 2014.

There is no specific grant available to purchase a bicycle under the terms of the Scheme and I have no plans to introduce such a grant.