John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will continue to provide school transport for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29112/16]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

Changes to the eligibility criteria for my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme were announced in December 2010 by the then Government as part of measures contained in Budget 2011 and derived from recommendations contained in the Value for Money review of the scheme.

Children who had an eligibility for school transport prior to the introduction of these changes retain this eligibility for the duration of their primary school education provided there is no change in their circumstances.

Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme, has confirmed that one of the children in question is retaining eligibility for school transport under the former eligibility criteria. However, Bus Éireann has also advised that the sibling in question was incorrectly categorised as eligible for school transport.

Children who are incorrectly categorized as eligible for school transport, are allowed retain their eligibility for the remainder of the school year in which the error is discovered; thereafter, the terms of the scheme will be applied.

This means that from the commencement of the 2017/18 school year, the sibling in question may avail of concessionary transport only to the school attended.

The terms of this scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.

The Programme for Government commits to review the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme and this review is currently underway.