Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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560. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if extra buses will be allocated for school transport in the north and east Cork area in view of the demographic demands and the capacity constraints due to Covid-19. [21974/20]

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. 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.

Based on the public health advice published in early July, my Department has been planning for School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year to fully operate , but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place. The Department has been engaging intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of School Transport Scheme services for the 2020/2021 school year.

Updated health advice was received from NPHET on the 18th August, which impacts on the operation of post-primary school transport services. This advice stated that for secondary school students on school transport, strict distancing should be ensured in line with that on public transport along with the wearing of face coverings and that primary school students should distance where possible.

On foot of this advice it was decided by Government that the operation of post-primary school transport services would commence operation when schools re-open pending the development of additional measures to support physical distancing on the post primary buses. My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann to implement these measures on a rolling basis to support this physical distancing as required.

Given the timing of this most recent advice from NPHET so close to the start of the new term, my Department is not withdrawing post-primary transport services as to do so would cause difficulty for many families in getting their children to school. My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann to implement measures so that any services that can operate from the start of the school year at 50% capacity will do so and over the coming period all other post-primary transport services and services for children of post-primary school going age will be re-organised and additional services will be provided as required to allow for physical distancing.

Bus Éireann is conducting a full assessment to see where re-organisation or re-scheduling of services is possible. In addition, Bus Éireann has recently invited applications from operators who wish to be considered for the provision of additional post-primary services that may be required.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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561. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagement she has had with Bus Éireann on school transport allocations in County Cork. [21975/20]

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

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 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.

Under the terms of the scheme, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant 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 may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and may be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children who complete the application and payment process on time exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.

My Department and Bus Éireann engage regularly regarding all matters relating to the operation of the School Transport Scheme throughout the country.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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562. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has discussed school transport with the Minister for Transport. [21976/20]

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. 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 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.

I recently published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School which set out how schools would reopen for all students from the end of August. It was developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business , and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with all relevant stakeholders including Bus Éireann, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority on the logistical considerations that arise in planning for the operation of school transport services for the reopening of our schools.

Officials from my Department have engaged with those from Department of Transport on these issues.