Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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444. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing free school transport to all students currently using these services. [26419/22]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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445. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children who unsuccessfully applied for a seat on the school bus transport scheme in the 2021-2022 academic year. [26420/22]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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446. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing free school transport for one child. [26421/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 444 to 446, inclusive, together.

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.

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.

All children who are eligible and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport where such services are in operation. The number of eligible students who did not complete the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school year was 1030.

The cost to operate school transport scheme services in 2021 was over €289 m. 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.

In 2021, receipts from school transport charges amounted to approximately €12m (net of refunds issued arising from Covid related school closures). If school transport fees were to be abolished and eligibility criteria remained the same, the cost of providing free transport to each child availing of school transport would be approximately an additional cost of €12m on the total cost of transport for the year. This figure is based on current patterns of school transport uptake and could vary depending on eligibility and demand.