Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is no special provision to enable school children use trains instead of buses where the cost is the same and this is the more convenient option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2373/17]

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

Currently in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

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

School Transport Services are delivered using a mix of Bus Éireann, both school transport and road passenger vehicles, private contractor vehicles including private operator scheduled services, and Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, DART and LUAS where practical. Bus Éireann has confirmed that some children, who are eligible for school transport, have been issued with tickets to travel on Irish Rail services for the current school year.

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