Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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263. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when school transport provisions in existence up to September 2019 will be restored to children in Rathcoffey and Donadea, County Kildare, in line with the requirements set out by the parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4945/20]

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

In the current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.

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

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

All school transport services are reviewed over the summer months. Arising from this review, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.

Services operating for the 2020/21 school year will be determined by the number of children who apply and are deemed eligible for school transport.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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264. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when free school transport facilities will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4946/20]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my 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 current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.

Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that an application for transport was received from the family in question for the 2019/20 school year, however payment was not received. Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is not attending their nearest post primary centre and is therefore not eligible for school transport.

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.

The family is advised to liaise with their local Bus Éireann office should they wish to enquire about the availability of transport on a concessionary basis for the 2020/2021 school year.

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