Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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388. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a grant to support parents in cases in which students have been refused school transport as in the case of students (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47712/21]

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 Post-Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time were accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2021/22 school year. 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 apply for school transport but who are not eligible are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children had been facilitated; these are referred to as concessionary seats.

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.

Bus Éireann has advised that there are a total of 7 services operating to the school referred to by the Deputy. All services are currently operating at capacity and there were a total of 103 eligible and 9 concessionary tickets issued across all services.

As services were at full capacity after the deadline date for payment, families who paid late could not be facilitated on these services. Bus Éireann have advised that a total 28 pupils (16 eligible & 12 concessionary) who did not pay by the deadline have not received tickets.

A child who is eligible for school transport but for whom no transport service is available may, following an application/payment for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. Therefore, payment of a grant in this instance cannot be considered.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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389. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the 50% school bus transport capacity limit currently in operation for the post-primary bus service will be reviewed; if any late applications for the scheme will be considered as in the case of students (details supplied) in the context of any changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47713/21]

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, are 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. 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.

Planning for school transport for the 2021/22 school year has proceeded on the basis that the public health measures in place as schools closed at the end of the last school year would remain as term began in this new school year. This includes the recommendations from Public Health that post-primary services would operate at 50% capacity. All other measures relating to hygiene, pre-assigned seating, cleaning and the wearing of masks by post-primary students are also in place.

However, as the vaccination programme for children on post-primary services is rolled out and as the lifting of restrictions on public transport services proceeds, the capacity limit of 50% on post-primary school transport services will be subject to ongoing review and the Department will be considering the position in this regard over the coming weeks.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils in question reside 13.1 km from home to their closest school and school of attendance and as such are eligible under the terms of the School Transport Scheme.

However, Bus Éireann has confirmed that there was no payment received for these pupils for the school year 2021/22 and the service in question is currently at full capacity in line with social distancing.