Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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555. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider amending the bus route to a school (details supplied) for a family in advance of the usual concessionary timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32041/22]

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.

The pupils referred to by the Deputy reside 2.6 km from home to their school of attendance and closest school.  As they do not meet the distance criteria to their closest school they are deemed as concessionary.

The transport application for the family in question for the 2021/22 school year was made on 25/08/2021 and as such was a late application. Their nearest service route was full by the time the application was made and the children were then accommodated on an alternative service.

As the pupils remain concessionary applicants, seats on transport are not guaranteed every year and the pupils will be facilitated under the terms of the scheme for concessionary applicants.