Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking with regard to the current school bus transport crisis in which the applications for concessionary seats is far exceeding the places being made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45005/17]

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.

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.

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

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only. Concessionary transport is subject to a number of terms and conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge.

Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children who are not eligible for school transport and are travelling on a concessionary basis.

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