Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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553. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure Ireland does not have a repeat of the capacity issues in school transport which happened at the start of the current academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21448/21]

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 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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 the School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms at primary and not less than 4.8 kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest school/education centre as determined by my 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.

Applications for school transport for the 2021/22 school year should be made on-line on Bus Éireann’s website at . The closing date for applications for the 2021/22 school year is 30th April 2021. 

Children who are eligible and who apply and pay on time are accommodated on transport services where such services are in operation. A service may be established where a sufficient number of eligible pupils, within an area apply for transport. 

Children who apply for transport but 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.

Concessionary transport may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s primary or post primary school education cycle. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann determines the allocation of the tickets and refunds payments made on behalf of those concessionary applicants for whom no seats remain.