Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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595. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if users of the school bus transport system cannot avail of the medical card waiver if they are on concessionary tickets; if this is the case even if they are unable to attend their nearest school through no fault of their own, for example, if it is oversubscribed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22049/21]

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 under the terms of the scheme may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a concessionary basis subject to a number of conditions including the appropriate annual charge is paid. The Medical Card waiver is not applicable to children who are not eligible for school transport.

It should be noted that in cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance that children reside from their next nearest school having regard to ethos and language. If a family has further information in regard to the closest school being full they should contact School Transport Section of my Department. Further information in this regard is available on my Department's website .