Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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813. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding school transport in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29024/15]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The scale of the School Transport Scheme, transporting some 114,000 children every school day on some 6,000 school transport routes utilising some 4,000 vehicles every school day makes it the largest public transport operation in the State.

Transport services for both primary and post-primary children are co-ordinated by Bus Éireann and transport routes are planned and shared in such a way as to ensure that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner.

The starting date for school transport services is an integral part of this objective and is arrived at by reference to the standard school year, the requirement that post primary schools be open for a minimum of 167 days and the commencement date of the State examinations.

The additional cost of providing school transport services outside of the above considerations would be prohibitive on a national basis.