Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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379. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing free school transport to each child availing of the school transport scheme in 2022. [25974/22]

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. It should be noted that of the total spend on school transport services in 2021 some €49.2m was spent on Covid related measures.

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 average cost of providing transport for a child to a primary or post-primary school is estimated at €1,000 per annum.  The average cost to provide transport for a child who requires Special Educational Needs transport is estimated at €9,000 per annum.  

School Transport is a demand led scheme and services are planned annually based on the number of eligible pupils who apply and pay on time. The closing date for receipt of payment for school transport for the 2022/23 school year is 29th July 2022.  The final number of children to be accommodated on school transport services for the 2022/23 school year will not be known until after this date.