Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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308. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address an issue on school transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25193/21]

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 3.2 km at primary and 4.8 km 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. Concessionary transport is subject to a number of terms and conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service. The availability of concessionary transport may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s education cycle. Routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the family referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their closest school.

An application for transport for one family member was received on 29th March 2019 to travel to the school of attendance and this application will carry over to the current school year. However, no further school transport applications have been received by Bus Éireann for this family for the 2021/2022 school year.

Bus Éireann has advised that this family reside 400 m from the bus pick up point for the service to their school of attendance. Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Routes are planned and updated on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport.