Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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892. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the national review currently being conducted into the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20104/22]

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.

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. 

In June 2021, as part of phase 1 of the review, the Steering Group presented me with an initial interim report on eligibility with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next nearest school.  Following consideration of this report, measures were approved which allowed for the provision of transport for post-primary students who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time.  This arrangement is in place for the current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme 

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.