Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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332. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of children from the Glenville area of County Cork who are attending the three secondary schools in Fermoy and who have seats on the bus; the number of children who have concessionary seats; the number of children who have not been allocated any seat for the 2022-23 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44916/22]

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.

Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. In addition,

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

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 a random selection process.

Bus Éireann has advised that the families referred to by the Deputy in this matter, for the most part, pupils who reside in the Glenville area are not eligible for transport to Fermoy Post Primary Centre.

Most pupils who reside in the Glenville area reside closer to Carrignavar Post Primary Centre.

There have been 54 applications for pupils who reside in Glenville and are attending schools within Fermoy Post Primary Centre. 33 pupils were successful in obtaining school transport tickets out of the 54 applications received.

Out of those who were unsuccessful 1 is an eligible pupil who applied late and 20 are concessionary pupils who are not attending their closest or second closest school and were not successful in obtaining a seat for the 22/23 school year after the random selection process. All families who were unsuccessful have been notified.