Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he has taken to address the problems facing eligible children who were not allocated a seat on a school transport service due to services being oversubscribed; his plans for a grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements for these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52010/17]

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

Currently over 114,000 children, including some 11,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 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.

In general, children are eligible for school transport if they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.

Bus Éireann will provide larger or additional vehicles to accommodate children who are eligible for school transport provided these children have completed the school transport application process within the prescribed time limits.

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.

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. 

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