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 School Transport Scheme primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Post primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest school/education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Officials in School Transport Section of my Department have requested a report from Bus Éireann in regard to the specific matter raised by the Deputy and will reply to the Deputy directly when this information is available.

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.

Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation.

Children who apply for transport and who are not eligible under the terms of the scheme are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann determines the allocation of the tickets and refunds payments made on behalf of those concessionary applicants for whom no seats remain.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that a number concessionary pupils were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 20/21 school year in the selection process for transport to the school referred to by the Deputy. Concessionary transport is subject to a number of conditions including that routes will not be extended or altered or additional vehicles will not be introduced to cater for children who are not eligible.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Each child has a right to education to enable them to live a full life as a child and to realise his or her potential as a unique individual. All pupils who are enrolled in a school should attend school for the full day, unless exempted from doing so for exceptional circumstances, such as medical reasons.

Where schools apply a shorter school day in relation to a child, such arrangements should only be put in place in exceptional circumstances in order to assist a pupil to return to a school, where a pupil has been experiencing an absence due to a medical or behavioural related condition. Reduced timetables should not be used as a behavioural management technique, or as a de facto suspension or expulsion. Any such arrangement should be a transitionary arrangement, which is designed to assist the reintegration of a pupil to a school environment.

In making any such arrangements, school authorities should be mindful of the best interests of the child and of the child's right to a full day in school. Schools should seek the advice of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) before implementing such arrangements.

In relation to the particular case raised by the Deputy, I understand that the school is currently engaged with the relevant support services and agencies, including NEPS and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), with a view to ensuring that the needs of the child can be catered for. I also understand that a further review meeting involving all of these parties is scheduled for early October to progress matters.