John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 228 of 3 December 2020, if she will provide funding for a school bus service to transport 18 students from Knockmoylan, County Kilkenny to and from a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that they cannot be catered for by Bus Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42563/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

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 Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms from and are attending their nearest Primary 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. The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.  Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process. 

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme.  

A 53 seater service serves the route to the school referred to by the Deputy; 34 mainstream eligible pupils and 19 mainstream concessionary pupils were successful in obtaining seats on board. 18 mainstream concessionary pupils were not successful in obtaining a seat during the selection process for school year 20/21.