Written answers
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Department of Education and Skills
Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if financial supports and measures will be made available to ensure social distancing measures can be properly implemented on school buses when schools are reopened in the 2020/2021 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8115/20]
Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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301. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if specific advice or information has been given to the bus fleet including private bus operators which provide students with transport to and from schools nationwide regarding future plans in relation to spacing, safety and the possible lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. [8259/20]
John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 301 together.
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
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.
The decision taken by the Government to close schools with effect from 13th March 2020 was taken in the interest of protecting our pupils, their families, teachers and those members of the wider community and is one of the many measures taken to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
On the 1st May 2020, the Taoiseach announced as part of the “Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business” that schools will commence opening on a phased basis at the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year. The Department is currently working with the education partners and relevant stakeholders in planning for this phased re-opening which will be based on public health advice and which will put the best interests of our school population first.
The operation of school transport services in September 2020 will be informed by the outcome of this planning for re-opening schools.
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