Written answers

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Department of Education and Skills

School Transport

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the remote area grant for the 2019-20 school year will be paid to a pupil (details supplied); the reason for the delay with same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36435/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma 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.

An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements

Bus Éireann has confirmed that an application for transport for the 2019/20 school year in respect of the pupil referred to by the Deputy was made on 23rd July 2019 and was therefore a late application. As the application was late, the Remote Area Grant can not be paid to the family in question for the 2019/20 school year.

Bus Éireann have confirmed that the pupil in question was sucessful in obtaining a seat on a new service in the 2020/21 school year to the school in question.

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