Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35695/20]

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 Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre 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. The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.

An application in respect of the pupil named by the Deputy who was successful in obtaining a ticket was received in 2019/20 school year and as a result, this rolled over to the 2020/21 school year.

An application for the sibling who was unsuccessful in obtaining a ticket was made on 14th August 2020 and is therefore a late application.

Bus Éireann has also confirmed that payment for school transport for the 2020/2021 school year was received from the family in question on 17th August 2020 and as such is a late payment.

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. In addition, payments or submission of medical card details 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.

Bus Éireann has advised that the application in respect of the pupil who did not receive a ticket, has since been closed as the parent informed the local office they were applying for a grant in lieu of transport. A full refund was made to the family on 2nd November, 2020. It should be noted that as the application for transport was not made within the prescribed application process timelines that the family can not be considered for a Remote Area Grant for the current school year.

Should the family wish to enquire about availing of the transport service they are advised to contact their local Bus Éireann office.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 265 of 13 October 2020, if school transport will be provided to persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35701/20]

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

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.

Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 3.2 kms to or from a pick up/set down point or to have travel and waiting times in excess of 2.5 hours per day. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils in question reside 1.4 km from their existing pickup and as such are within the distance guidelines outlined above.

Bus Éireann has also advised that service in question has been reviewed and changes have been implemented taking all pupils on route into consideration. To meet the request of the families highlighted by the Deputy would inconvenience other pupils on the service.