Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the remote area grant for school children living in remote areas of the country in order to increase the payment rates and bring them in line with transport costs (details supplied). [44652/17]

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

During the 2016/17 school year almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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 meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.

Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. The grant is calculated on the distance that children reside from their school and the number of days attended; the rate of grant varies from about €200 to €900 per annum.

This grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2 kilometres or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point. 

This grant is payable annually at a fixed daily rate, to each eligible family, regardless of the number of children from the same family, travelling to a particular school.

The Remote Area Grant is not intended to cover the actual cost of providing transport and in this regard, there are no plans to review the current rates applicable.