Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a timeline in place for when the steering group reviewing the school transport scheme will publish its recommendations; if she expects to have these recommendations in place for the 2022-2023 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45217/21]

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 completed 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 who 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 Februrary 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.

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 for transport 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.

Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme 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 by the end of Q1 in 2022 on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason parents who are medical card holders have been told that their children are not eligible to travel to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45626/21]

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.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible, but 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.

Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant school and Bus Éireann has confirmed that this may affect eligibility for certain families in the area referred to by the Deputy. If the Deputy has queries in regard to a specific family or families School Transport will advise on an individual basis.