Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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535. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will amend the current legislation governing the school transport scheme which states that routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis, to ensure that all pupils who wish to avail of concessionary tickets can do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26352/16]

Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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536. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will amend the current legislation governing the school transport scheme which states that, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis, and provide additional funding to allow current service providers to supply a higher capacity vehicle to ensure that (details supplied) and all other applicants can be accommodated on route to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26353/16]

Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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537. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will amend the current legislation governing the school transport scheme which states that, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis, and provide additional funding to allow current service providers to supply a higher capacity vehicle to ensure that (details supplied) and all other applicants can be accommodated on route to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26354/16]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 535 to 537, inclusive, together.

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. In general, children are eligible for school transport if they are attending their nearest school and satisfy the requisite distance criteria.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only.

Transport on a concessionary basis is subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the School Transport Scheme such as the existence of spare seats on the bus after all eligible children have been catered for and payment of the school transport charge.

The Programme for Government commits to review the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme prior to Budget 2017.

Pending this review, there was no planned programme of downsizing school buses in the current school year. There were route changes and variations in line with normal operational decisions that occur from year to year, and any impacts in terms of increases or decreases of available places nationally was marginal, in line with what occurs every year.

It is important to point out that there has been no impact on children who are eligible for school transport.