Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the preparations in place to expand school bus transport for the 2021/2022 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24980/21]

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 the scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. All children who are eligible and who complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport in 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, where seats are available after all

My Department is currently conducting a review of the School Transport Scheme. The review is being conducted to ensure that the school transport scheme is fit for purpose and that it serves students and their families adequately. It is planned that the Steering Group will report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report later this year with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.

The Steering Group will report to me initially on preliminary findings regarding eligibility, before moving to consider and report on broader issues such as the objectives of the scheme and the alignment of the scheme with other initiatives and wider government policy. This initial report of the Steering Group is due to be completed shortly.