Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports he will put in place for persons who are facing losing their school transport due to lack of numbers in a school availing of the bus transport scheme in that area; his plans to lower the numbers required in order that rural schools do not lose more students due to the lack of transportation to their school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20243/17]

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

Currently almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 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 purpose of the  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.

Children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criterion and are attending their nearest school.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.

Families of eligible children, for whom there is no school transport service available, are eligible for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.

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