Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of places made available to persons in County Louth for the school transport scheme for the 2018 new school term. [37266/18]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications received from persons in County Louth for places on the school transport scheme for the 2018 new school term; and the number of applicants successfully awarded a place on the scheme. [37267/18]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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191. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons in County Louth who were unsuccessful in their applications for the school transport scheme for the 2018 new school term. [37268/18]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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192. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in County Louth without a place on the school transport scheme despite being deemed successful in their application for the 2018 new school term. [37269/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 to 192, inclusive, together.

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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 at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.

Bus Éireann has advised that 1,648 children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application process on time have been issued with tickets for school transport in County Louth for the 2018/19 school year.

A total of 97 children who are eligible for school transport were not issued tickets as they did not complete the application process on time.

In addition, 457 children who are not eligible for school transport but who completed the application process on time were issued tickets for school transport where spare seats were available; 18 children who were not eligible and who completed the application process on time were not allocated tickets as services are operating to capacity.

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