Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

730. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is an application for school transport for a person (details supplied); and if consideration can be given to same. [63311/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021. 

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.

The Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of pupils who reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann have confirmed that the pupil referred to by the Deputy resides 4.3 km from home to their closest school and school of attendance. 

Once Bus EIireann process an application and a pupil is deemed eligible for a service, the provision of that service continues to the next school year once the annual payment has been received. 

Bus Éireann has advised that while the first application for the pupil in question was received on 14 July 2017 for the 2017/18 school year and rolled on by the Bus Éireann system to following years, no payment was received for the 21/22 school year. The current service is a 33 seater service and there is no availability on board this service to offer the pupil.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

731. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided to the children of a person (details supplied). [63346/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021. 

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.

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes and endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.  

Bus Éireann has confirmed that two members of the family in question reside 3.6km from their primary school of attendance and are eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme. The family resides 0.6km from the pick up point.   Tickets issued to both pupils in August 2021. Bus Éireann has also advised that the pick-up point has been assessed as being suitable as a pick-up point under the School Transport Scheme and that diverting the service is not operationally feasible as the service is operated with a large 54 seater coach and there is no safe turning point at the family home or close by.

With regard to the family member who attends post-primary school Bus Éireann has confirmed that they have not received an application for school transport for this child.  There is no suitable service to cater for this pupil to the school in question as the closest pick up point is approximately 10 km from where this pupil resides.