Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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565. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has carried out a review of the school transport schemes in view of the difficulties many parents in rural Ireland have in securing spaces due to distance limits. [21586/21]

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 my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms at primary and 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest 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.

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. 

In October 2019, my predecessor announced a review of the School Transport Scheme with a view to ensuring funds are being spent in the most effective way  to meet the objectives of the scheme. 

Given the  evolving situation with Covid-19 the work of the Steering Group had been delayed. However, an initial meeting of the Steering Group was recently held in order to recommence the process, which will continue over the coming period. The review is being conducted to ensure that the school transport is fit for purpose and that it serves students and their families adequately.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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566. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an allowance in the school transport scheme will be made for the parents of a child with additional needs to send their child to a school other than the closest one to them if it is better equipped for their child’s needs. [21587/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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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 the Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.

In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest school that is resourced to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO). 

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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567. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications for bus tickets under the school transport scheme in County Tipperary by year; and the number of appeals to decisions under the scheme by year. [21588/21]

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 my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms at primary and 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.  

The number of mainstream applications for transport in County Tipperary for the past four years is as follows:

It is important to note that the above figures do not include applications where there was no service available, grant pupils and families who closed their application. The above figures include active applications (new applications & applications that carried forward from the previous school year). Please note that the number of applications include families who may not have completed the payment process but did apply for transport.

The number of appeals received in the School Transport Appeals Board for County Tipperary in the past four years are as follows: