Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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311. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided to three siblings (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44703/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.

I am pleased to advise that the children referred to by the Deputy are eligible under the terms of the scheme and were issued a ticket(s) on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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312. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the case of a school (details supplied) that facilitates a class within the mainstream setting for hearing impaired primary school students, who travel from across Limerick city and county, that has no school transport facility leading to a number of these hearing-impaired students being unable to attend school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44706/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

Bus Éireann have advised that a new service is required to facilitate the school referred to by the Deputy, however following the procurement process they have further advised there were no successful tenders.

Under the terms of the Department’s School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for school transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised school/class that is resourced to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers.

Bus Éireann have confirmed that they are still in the process of securing an operator locally and as soon as one has been secured the service will be established.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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313. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a bigger school bus can be sanctioned for a school bus route (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44725/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.

Bus Éireann has advised that the eligible children from the area referred to by the Deputy have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2022/23 school year.

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 has advised that one concessionary child was issued a ticket on board this service and two concessionary children were unsuccessful in obtaining concessionary tickets for the 2022/23 school year as the capacity on this service is full.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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314. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided to a student (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that this student always availed of this school transport and the loss of this service is having a detrimental impact on the student’s family; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44727/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.

Bus Éireann are processing applications and issuing tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced and become available to provide transport for the higher numbers qualifying for the service. However, regrettably the unprecedented numbers of new applications for the upcoming school year, has led to some delays in issuing tickets.

The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply and tickets continue to be allocated in line with this criteria. Pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible.

Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.

In line with normal practice, all eligible children who completed the application and ticket registration process on time for the 2022/2023 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport under the terms of the school transport scheme and was unsuccessful in obtaining a seat on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as the existing service is operating to capacity.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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316. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she utilises Central Statistics Office data and Census results in the context of the provision of the school transport. scheme. [44747/22]

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 last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were 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.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

The Department’s School Transport Section works with a number of relevant areas within the Department and with the National Council for Special Education to explore options for strengthening its forecasting demand for School Transport Scheme Services.

In addition, the Department commenced a Review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The review is to be conducted to ensure funds are being spent in the most effective way and to also examine potential scope for a more co-ordinated approach involving other Government departments that also fund transport service.

As part of this review the Department will continue to build on the work that has been done in order to develop a forecast of demand for the school transport service in order to assist in policy development for the scheme.

In this regard School Transport Section is currently actively engaging with the Planning and Building Unit (who have a Geographical Information System (GIS) system that uses data from a range of sources including the Central Statistics Office) and Statistics Section of the Department and with the National Council for Special Education with regard to projected demand for school transport services which will assist in informing recommendations and policy on the future operation of the scheme.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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317. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that appropriate timeframes are used to communicate to parents if they have been made an allocation under the school transport scheme. [44748/22]

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 last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were 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.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.

As of 13th September 2022, 124,000 tickets for the 2022/2023 school year have been issued to applicants for the new school year. The number of tickets allocated will continue to change on a daily basis as Bus Éireann continue to process all remaining applications.

Bus Éireann are continuing to process applications and to issue tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced and become available to provide transport for the higher numbers qualifying for the service.

Account holders can check the status of their application on the online account management system, known as the Family Portal, which reopened on Thursday 25 August. Families are contacted as soon as transport is arranged. However, regrettably the unprecedented numbers of new applications for the upcoming school year, has led to some delays in issuing tickets.

Families that have already submitted a valid application prior to the 29th July and have not yet received an update, are advised not to amend or alter their existing application as creating new or duplicate applications risks losing the existing application place in the system.

While the re-opening of the portal also facilitates a late application process, it is very important for such families to note that the application deadline for 2022/23 was 29 April 2022, and that the deadline to confirm registration for tickets was 29 July 2022. Any application completed after this date is a ‘late application’and therefore, many school transport services are already operating at full capacity. Late applications will only be assessed after all “on time” applications have been processed and there can be no guarantee of places for late applicants.

The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply.

Pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school.

At post-primary level students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time and who confirmed to Bus Éireann that they require a ticket by the 29th July 2022 will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2022/23 school year where such services are in operation.

Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary, applicants and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat on when all eligible children have been catered for.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible pupils/students and the priority of providing places for eligible ticket holders, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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318. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will engage with Bus Éireann in the context of developing a role at Bus Éireann that will liaise directly with schools in respect of the school transport scheme. [44749/22]

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 last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were 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.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.

Bus Éireann have a number of Regional School Transport Offices, staff working in these offices are crucial in day to day operation of the School Transport Scheme. Part of the Service Supervisor's role is to plan every bus route – primary and post-primary - from the point of view of its suitability to accommodate the size of vehicle that will be used. The routes are designed annually based on the location of eligible pupils.

Every route and all pick-up points to be used are assessed for suitability before introduction and services are monitored and checked by Service Supervisors on an ongoing basis. When routes have been finalised, Bus Éireann then arranges transport either on scheduled services or on special school bus or taxi services. Bus Éireann Service Supervisors liaise locally with parents and school Principals in relation to the day to day operation of the scheme.

The Regional Office contact details can be found on www.buseireann.ie