Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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206. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the minimum number for a school bus service will be examined further, as was stated in the review of school transport cross party submissions; and if the decision will be made before September 2017. [4216/17]

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.

The Programme for Government committed to a review of the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme.  I established a Cross Party Group to feed into the review.  This review has been completed and was published in December 2016, however, a range of submissions relating to the School Transport Scheme generally were received from members of the Oireachtas through the Cross Party Group.

Arising from this, a number of areas were identified which require further examination including options on the implementation of the minimum numbers required for the retention of a service.  This examination will be completed prior to September 2017.