Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when families can expect to receive school bus fare refunds in lieu of the post-primary school closure from January to April 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32313/21]

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.

The decision taken by the Government not to re-open schools on the 6th January 2021, followed by the subsequent phased re-opening, was taken in the interest of protecting our pupils, their families, teachers and those members of the wider community and is one of the many measures taken to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Given that school transport services have not been available for part of the current school year, it has been decided that at the end of the current school year a refund for that period of closure will be issued to parents/guardians. The Department is currently engaging with Bus Éireann in considering how best to facilitate these refunds.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a post-primary school transport route (details supplied) will be extended with the capacity increased to meet demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32322/21]

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 the Department's Post-Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school/education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that pupils who reside in the areas referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme as they are not attending their nearest school/post primary centre.

Children who apply for transport but who are not eligible are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

All school transport services are reviewed over the summer months. Arising from this, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.