Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue on a review for a school transport service for a person (details supplied). [39012/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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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.

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

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2018/19 school year.

Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is not eligible for school transport as he is not attending his nearest school

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.

Bus Éireann has advised that the family in question did not submit their payment details for the 2018/19 school year. Bus Éireann has also advised that there are spare seats available on the relevant service.

In this regard the family is advised to liaise with their local Bus Éireann office if they wish to avail of transport on a concessionary basis.

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