Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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307. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to encourage active travel modes to and from work in her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17373/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has a number of initiatives in place to encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work. Such initiatives include: Cycle to Work scheme:The Cycle to Work scheme is a tax incentive scheme to encourage staff to cycle to work and is in operation in my Department since 2009.

Travel pass scheme: The travel pass scheme for public transport is also available to Department staff. It allows staff to purchase an annual travel pass for bus, Dart, train or Luas by tax free salary deductions.

Business travel policy: My Department's policy in relation to the claiming of travel and subsistence expenses specifies that all travel should be by the shortest practicable routes and by the cheapest practicable mode of transport. Officers are encouraged to use public transport whenever practicable, with private transport to be used only in limited circumstances.

Health and Wellbeing

The Human Resources (HR) Unit of my Department circulates information on events/webinars/initiatives that encourage all types of physical activity, including walking where possible. Bicycle racks, lockers and shower facilities are available for staff who walk, cycle or jog to commute to work.

In addition, my Department promotes the annual European Mobility week which takes place in September each year and focuses on a particular topic related to sustainable mobility. The Department also supports the car-free day, as part of that week, by encouraging staff who regularly drive to work to leave their cars at home.

The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document should the Deputy wish to contact them directly with this query.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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308. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which she is encouraging active travel to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17397/22]

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 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 the 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.

Safe Routes to School is an initiative of the Department of Transport and supported by the Department of Education. It is operated by the An Taisce Green-Schools Programme in partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the local authorities.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme and how it currently operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families.

The review encompasses the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs and the Primary and Post-Primary School Transport Schemes in terms of how each element of the schemes currently operate, to include eligibility criteria, trends, costs and cost drivers, and overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the schemes.

The review will also examine the potential for integration of different strands of the scheme and a more co-ordinated approach with other Government Departments that also use transport services. The review will consider issues such as climate action, supporting rural development and promoting where possible initiatives that encourage walking and cycling to school.

Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme are now taking place in the next phase of the review which is currently underway. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses.