Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an alternative avenue of complaint exists, away from school transport inspectors, which is available to parents and pupils that wish to raise concerns regarding pick-up and drop-off points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38150/16]

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

Currently over 113,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, are being 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.

The safety of children travelling on the school transport service is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme.

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and organisation of all services provided under the School Transport Scheme, including the assessment of the suitability of routes and the identification of suitable pick up and drop off points.

There are five Bus Éireann Regional Managers and eleven regional school transport offices where concerns about pick-up and drop-off points may be addressed.

Details of these offices are available on the Bus Éireann website at www.buseireann.ie.