Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school transport route can be put in place from Mullingar to Columba College, Killucan (details supplied). [45819/21]

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 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 advised that pupils residing in the Mullingar area and attending Columba College, Killucan are not eligible for transport as they are not attending their nearest school and are closer to Post Primary schools in Mullingar.

There is currently no service available from Mullingar to Columba College, Killucan.

In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance that children reside 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.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a bus ticket will be issued to a student (details supplied) who has no other means of travelling to school. [45820/21]

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 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 as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme. However, the minimum payment required to secure a school transport ticket was not made by the closing date and as a result a ticket was not issued and a refund was processed for the pupil on 15th September 2021.

The service is currently operating at full capacity in line with social distancing requirements.