Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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582. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the commitment to provide concessionary school transport to students going to their second nearest post-primary school will be extended to primary school students attending their second nearest primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42562/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020. 

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.  In addition all post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and have applied and paid on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. This arrangement is in place for current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.  

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and are offered seats where capacity exists after all eligible children have been catered for.

My Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. Following commencement of this review the Steering Group recently presented me with an initial interim report on eligibility with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next nearest school. Following consideration of this report, I approved the extension of temporary alleviation measures which allow for post-primary students who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and have applied and paid on time.  This arrangement will be in place for the coming school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.

Wider considerations relating to the objectives of the scheme and the criteria for eligibility will take place in the next phase of the review which is now underway. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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583. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the additional school transport capacity will be put on a school bus route (details supplied) in County Kerry to cater for demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42567/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were 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 Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school as determined by my 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 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 and who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

The closing date for payment for the 2021/2022 school year was the 31st July 2021. There are currently 6 late applications from the area in question on the Bus Éireann system that have been received between August and September 2021 and these are currently being processed by Bus Éireann. 

Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2021/2022 school year. 

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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584. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine a situation (details supplied) in which there is a lack of school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42570/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were 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 School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.

Children are eligible for transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.  Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers . 

An application for school transport was received on behalf of the pupil referred to by the Deputy in my Department on 02 September, 2021 and forwarded to Bus Éireann for consideration.  I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Bus Éireann has confirmed that this pupil can be accommodated on an existing service and sanction has been given for the pupil to commence on the service.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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585. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine a lack in school transport facilities (details supplied) from Kill village, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42571/21]

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 2020/21 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 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 and may 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.  

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are not attending their closest post primary centre, and are therefore not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann has also advised that there is currently no service with spare capacity for the pupils to avail of for the current school year.  Payment for the pupils in question was received 25/06/2021 for the 21/22 school year and a refund will be issued in due course. 

In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance the pupil resides 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 www.education.ie.  

Such requests are considered on a case by case basis following  documentary evidence being submitted by the family, including but not limited to:

- The detailed steps taken to enrol the pupil in the nearest and next nearest schools.

- Evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school.

- A letter from the School Authorities confirming that the school was full at time of enrolment.