Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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456. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional transport can be provided for post-primary pupils attending college (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23999/20]

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.

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

Where there is more than one school in a Post Primary Education Centre, Central Measuring Points (CMPs) such as bus stations/post offices are a feature of the school transport scheme. CMPs have assisted in the smooth operation of services for many years. The use of CMPs benefits families by ensuring that children of the same family, who are attending different schools in the same education centre, are eligible for school transport provided they satisfy the distance criterion to the CMP rather than the individual school.

Bus Éireann, who operate school transport on behalf of my Department, has advised that there are currently 12 school transport services operating to the Central Measuring Point that serves the school referred to by the Deputy and one other post primary school.

In the morning, school transport services drop off 0.55 km from the post primary school referred to in this case. In the afternoon, school transport services pick up 0.9 km from the school referred to at the central collection point.

Bus Éireann has advised that the current central collection point is the only location that can facilitate 12 vehicles being parked and ready for collection of pupils attending these post primary schools.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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457. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of post-primary school buses contracted for the provision of school transport for the 2020-21 academic year; the number of these buses now running at 50% capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24012/20]

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 2020/2021school 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.

My Department has been engaging with Bus Éireann in respect of these plans, 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 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.

As of the 11th September 2020 there were 2206 mainstream Post Primary routes in operation. 20% of these routes are operating at 50% capacity while in the region of 52% of SEN post-primary services are operating at 50% capacity with planning being undertaken by Bus Éireann to implement the remaining routes on a rolling basis. This process will take into account procurement guidelines and compliance with driver vetting and safety procedures consistent with the operation of school transport services.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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458. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the necessary resources will be provided to Bus Éireann allow it to roll out urgently the 50% reduction in post-primary school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24014/20]

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 2020/2021school 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.

My Department is engaging with Bus Éireann in respect of these plans, 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 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.