Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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472. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will extend a school bus route (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38869/22]

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 the 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 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 which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for transport as they are not attending their nearest school.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the family in question reside 15.4 km from home to the pupils closest school and 22km from home to their school of attendance. The family reside 0.7km from home to the nearest pick-up point for this school.

School Transport routes and pick-up points are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.

Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that children are brought safely to and collected safely from Bus Éireann designated pick up and set down points.