Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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477. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a full school transport service is being provided to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46599/21]

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 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 post primary 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 have completed the application process on time for the 2021/2022 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

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

There is a school transport service available to this pupil. An application for transport was first received for this pupil on 30/04/2021 for the 2021/22 school year. Medical card details were submitted for this pupil on 23/07/2021 and a ticket was sent to this pupil on 30/08/2021.

Bus Éireann have advised that this pupil was deemed eligible in error at the time of initial application and a letter in this regard will issue from Bus Éireann to the family in question.

As the pupil in question is not eligible for transport the medical card waiver does not apply and payment is required to secure the pupils ticket for the 2021/22 school year.