Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the assessments she has conducted on the school transport needs of homeless children who are living in emergency accommodation away from where they originally lived and who are enrolled in school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8585/16]

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

Under the terms of my Department's Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 or 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school or post primary centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may avail of transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the scheme.

While no assessment has been conducted on the school transport needs of homeless children, the school transport eligibility of such children is considered in conjunction with Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department.