Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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396. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to issues relating to the bus route of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47773/21]

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 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 national school 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 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 two concessionary pupils did not receive a ticket as in the area referred to by the Deputy. Bus Éireann has also advised that all services in the area referred to are currently operating at full capacity.