Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

752. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on calculations used by the regional school transport section (details supplied). [29118/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

825. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on calculations used by regional school transport section(details supplied). [29117/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

826. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that the school transport service is secured in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Dublin. [29119/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 752, 825 and 826 together.

Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Decisions regarding a child's eligibility for school transport are based on the prevailing circumstances at the time of the child's first enrolment.

Bus Éireann determines distance eligibility by measuring the shortest traversable route, which may be either pedestrian or vehicular from a child's home to their nearest school. The main purpose of this measurement is to identify the distance that a child resides from their nearest school and to assess if they meet the distance eligibility criterion for school transport. In the interests of equity, this is applied on a consistent standard basis across the country.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.

Bus Éireann has advised that, to date, the number of applicants for school transport, to the school in question, for the 2015/16 school year has fallen below the minimum number required to retain the existing service.

Families of eligible children, for whom there is no school transport service available, are eligible for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only, which is subject to a number of conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge.