Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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441. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided to pupils (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23884/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the 2019/2020 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.

The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.  All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. 

The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020.  This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. 

The School Transport Scheme Family Portal has now re-opened.  However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 2020/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. 

Bus Éireann has confirmed that payment for tickets for the children referred to by the Deputy was received on the 7th September 2020 for the 2020/2021 school year and such their payment is late.

Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.

Payments for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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442. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to upgrade the school transport service and allow persons from within a parish to attend their local parish school rather than having to go to the nearest school, which may be outside the parish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23899/20]

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.

A number of changes to the School Transport Scheme were introduced in Budget 2011, which derived from recommendations in the Value for Money Review of the Scheme.  These changes encompassed a number of elements such as national application of the distance rule of 3.2 kilometres at primary level, the cessation of the Closed/Central School Rule at primary level, the cessation of catchment boundary area to determine eligibility at post primary level, the increase from seven to 10 eligible pupils residing in a distinct locality to retain or establish a school transport service and the introduction of charges at primary level.

Under the terms of the Department's School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria (3.2km at primary and 4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. 

All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis and are facilitated where spare seats exits after eligible children have been accommodated.  Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets using an agreed selection process.

With regard to the Review of the School Transport Scheme, as announced by my predecessor in October 2019, given the current evolving situation with Covid-19 the proposed review has been delayed.  I propose to convene the Steering Group shortly and to agree and supplement revised terms of reference to reflect the Programme for Government.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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443. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which secondary school transport for special needs schools will be delivered specifically in terms of face coverings, social distancing, mixing of different isolation groups and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23924/20]

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.

Following the most recent advice from NPHET, the Government decided that the post-primary scheme (including post-primary services for pupils with special educational needs) would commence operation when schools re-open with additional measures in place, such as pre-assigned seating and additional hygiene and cleaning measures on services and with the rolling implementation of measures to provide physical distancing, in line with those required on public transport, which is using 50% of passenger capacity, on the post- primary services as required.

Given the timing of this most recent advice from NPHET so close to the start of the new term, my Department has not withdrawn post-primary transport services for pupils with special educational needs as to do so may have caused difficulty for many families in getting their children to school.

My Department has engaged with Bus Éireann to implement measures so that any services that could operate from the start of the school year at 50% capacity have done so and over the coming period all other 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.

Every effort continues to provide a safe transport service for all pupils and my Department has issued detailed information and guidance to parents and children on the operation of school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. However, if parents/guardians of children on post-primary transport services for children with special educational needs decide not to use school transport for the 2020/2021 school year, in light of the impact of most recent health advice, the Department will provide a grant to support them with the cost of private transport arrangements. Parents/guardians have been contacted directly and asked to inform the Department if they wish to avail of this option.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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444. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school bus route can be changed following contact with Bus Éireann school transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23932/20]

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.

Bus Éireann have advised that they have conducted a search on their records and cannot find applications for the pupils referred to by the Deputy.

Officials in the School Transport Section of my Department have contacted the Deputy's office seeking further information on these pupils and once received, my Department will liaise with the Deputy directly in regard to his query.