Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will take steps to ensure that a family (details supplied) living in emergency homeless accommodation can access transport in order that they can attend school. [62140/21]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she has taken and will take to ensure that all children who are living in emergency homeless accommodation have access to school transport. [62141/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 113 together.

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, 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 my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms at primary and 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.  

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only. Concessionary transport is subject to a number of terms and conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service once all eligible children have been accommodated.

With regard to the family referred to by the Deputy,  Bus Eireann has confirmed that family is not eligible for transport as they do not meet the distance eligibility criteria.  However, officials from School Transport Section of my Department are liaising with Bus Éireann with regard to the availability of transport on a concessionary basis.