Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when payment of the remote area school transport grant for the school year 2019-20 will issue to a group of parents in a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16217/21]

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 current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.

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 my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by my 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. This grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2 kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are entitled to the remote area grant. However, due to a systems issue parents were unable to apply for transport within the application process timeline for the 2019/2020 school year. 

In light of this, the School Transport Section of my Department is currently in the process of contacting eligible families who applied to the school referred to by the Deputy before the commencement of the 2019/20 school year with regard to payment of the remote area grant.