Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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411. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review his Department's school transport policy in order to allow students from an area (details supplied) to avail of free school transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26537/17]

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 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.

Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

The terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.