Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the school transport grant can be extended to students attending schools in circumstances in which a bus is unavailable such as in a case (details supplied). [48846/21]

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.

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. 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.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann has also confirmed that an application for transport was first received for this pupil on 21/06/2021 for the 2021/22 school year and as such was a late application. A payment was received for this pupil on 21/07/2021 and a refund was issued on 22/09/2021.

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.