Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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367. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when refunds for school transport will issue to students (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16506/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.

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 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.

Given that the school transport services have not been available to children from 13th March, it was decided that at the end of the current school year a refund for that period of closure will be issued to parents. My Department has engaged with Bus Éireann in developing a plan for facilitating these refunds and I can confirm that refunds are being issued directly to all entitled family account holders.

The refunds process has commenced and refunds to those families who paid by cheque issued during the week commencing 29th June. With regard to families who paid by card, Bus Éireann has contacted all families due to receive a refund to advise them of arrangements. Further details on the refunds process is available at .