Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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478. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided to a pupil (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that two of their siblings are being provided with school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25383/20]

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.

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 school/education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

The closing date for applying for transport for the 2020/21 school year was Friday 24th April 2020. 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.

Children who apply for transport and who are not eligible are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Bus Éireann, who operate school transport on behalf of my Department, has advised that the three children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's Post-Primary School Transport Scheme as they do not meet the requisite distance criteria.

Applications for the older siblings had been rolled over from the previous school year and these children have been accommodated on the transport service in question. Bus Éireann has confirmed that the application for the younger sibling was late.

Late applications/payments for Post-Primary seats will be only considered when 50% capacity required by new Covid19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route and may take a number of weeks to complete.