Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will investigate the reason that a pupil (details supplied) who applied for a school bus ticket in April 2022 and who has been using the school transport service for the past four years and is paying for this service has been advised that there is no bus ticket despite the bus travelling the route on a daily basis at 50% capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46670/22]

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 29th 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.

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.

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.

There may be instances where there are empty seats on school transport services, particularly at the beginning of the school year some families may prefer to drop or collect their children from school for a period of time. This may continue on odd days throughout the school year too, based on the family circumstances.

It is recognised that all pupils issued with tickets will not travel every morning and every evening. In addition, certain after school activities may also result in pupils not travelling on certain days.

Bus Éireann organises for vehicles to be full to capacity with tickets based on applications received and based on the seating capacity of the vehicle. It is not feasible to issue additional tickets over and above the seating capacity of the vehicle which could result in a potential overload situation arising and all pupils not being carried on the service.

Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme but was unsuccessful in obtaining a seat on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as they did not complete the ticket registration process by the closing date of 29th July. All existing services in this area are currently operating at capacity.