Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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989. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review correspondence (details supplied); her views in relation the specifics of this case; and if she will provide an update on the review of the school transport scheme. [29604/22]

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 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 Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school/Education Centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time (apply on time and pay on time) are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are not eligible but who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Bus Éireann, who operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department, review all school transport services over the summer months. Arising from this review, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.

Bus Éireann have confirmed that generally, pupils residing in the area referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for transport to their school of attendance as it is not their closest school/Education Centre. There are matters raised in the correspondence submitted in the details supplied which the Department will follow up on separately.

As the Deputy is aware, the 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.

Following commencement of this review the Steering Group presented me with an initial interim report in June 2021. Following consideration of this report, I approved the extension of temporary alleviation measures for the 2021/22 school year for transport for post-primary students who were otherwise eligible for school transport but were attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time. Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme are now taking place in the next phase of the review which is currently underway.

Decisions in regard to measures for the 2022/23 school year will be made shortly. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses.