Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a student (details supplied) will be accommodated on the school bus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46693/22]

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.

While the pupil in question is not attending their nearest centre, they are attending their second nearest Post Primary centre. The route in question is a new service that was due to commence at the start of the 2022/23 school year. However, Bus Éireann advise, this new service has not yet commenced due to delays in sourcing a contractor.

Bus Éireann further advise that an application for transport for the pupil referred to by the Deputy was received on time for this pupil for the 2022/23 school year, and once a contractor has been sourced to operate this service a ticket will issue to the pupil referred.