Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which catchment areas for school bus routes are determined; if there is a mechanism in place to change the catchment areas if they do not meet the needs of a particular area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23269/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 my Department's 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.

In general, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criterion and are attending their nearest school, having regard to ethos and language.

Catchment areas are not a factor in determining eligibility for school transport.