Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications including unsuccessful applications for school bus transport in the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 school year, respectively; the number of successful applications categorised by eligible and concessionary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37053/21]

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 complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services 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.

The number of applications including unsuccessful applications for school transport in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 school years and the number of successful applications categorised by eligible and concessionary as requested by the Deputy have been provided by Bus Éireann in the table below.