Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

592. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 1051 of 21 April 2021, if it is accepted that a school (details supplied) has traditionally been a feeder school for second-level education in Maynooth and given that same would have been taken into consideration when constructing the new campus in Maynooth that due consideration would have been given or should have been given to providing school transport along with the accepted tradition of pupils from the school attending second-level school in Maynooth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21996/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

A number of changes to the School Transport Scheme were introduced in Budget 2011, which derived from recommendations in the Value for Money Review of the Scheme.  These changes encompassed a number of elements including the cessation of catchment boundary area to determine eligibility at post primary level.

Under the terms of the Department's School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport   if they satisfy the distance criteria (3.2km at primary and 4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. 

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2021/2022 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 using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann has advised that pupils who reside in Rathcoffey village and are attending Maynooth Post Primary Centre are generally not eligible for transport as they reside closer to Scoil Mhuire Community School, Clane, Co. Kildare.

However, pupils who reside in Rathcoffey village and are attending Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad, Maynooth, Co. Kildare  (All Irish) and Maynooth Community College, Co. Kildare (Aonad) may be eligible for transport as they are attending their nearest All Irish school.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

593. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has been refused a school bus ticket to Newport due to the fact that Doon is 300 metres closer to their home. [21999/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2021/22 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.  

Bus Éireann have confirmed that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport as he is not attending his closest school. No application for school transport was received for the pupil in question for the 20/21 school year. An application for school transport for the pupil in question for the 21/22 school year was received 28/02/2021.

Bus Éireann have advised that there is a school transport service available for the 21/22 school year from where the pupil resides to their school of attendance.