Written answers

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

Department of Education and Skills

School Transport

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a subject raised at a recent meeting (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48504/18]

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

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. 

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.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.  Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets for the spare seats on the basis of an agreed selection process.

It is understood that the cases referred to by the Deputy relate to children who are not eligible under the rules of the scheme.

The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on an annual basis.

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