Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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92. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to providing a school bus on a road (details supplied). [50566/22]

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, 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.

Under the terms of my 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 as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

In general children are eligible for school transport if they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest post primary school/post primary centre. Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.

Bus Éireann has advised pupils travelling from the area referred to by the Deputy who attend the advised post primary school are not attending their nearest education centre having regard to ethos and language, in this regard they are not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann also advise there is no service currently operating from the area to the school referred by the Deputy.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school bus application in the name of a pupil (details supplied). [50567/22]

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 child referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms of the scheme and was issued a ticket for a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school bus application for two pupils (details supplied). [50568/22]

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 pupils referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme, did not submit an application before the closing date and have not completed the ticket registration process. Bus Éireann has also advised there is currently available capacity on an existing service that may accommodate the pupils. The local Bus Éireann office will liaise directly with the family regarding submitting a ticket request in order to seek concessionary tickets.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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95. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the school bus application for two pupils (details supplied). [50569/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the past 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 children referred to by the Deputy have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. My Department and Bus Éireann will continue to provide School Transport Scheme services in line with the process that was in place for the 2021/2022 school year for children arriving to Ireland from Ukraine. Full information on the process is available on Gov.ie.

My Department has received applications for school transport from the pupils referred to by the Deputy and these applications have been submitted to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann is currently in the process of working on transport arrangements in order to accommodate these pupils and will revert to my Department when a solution has been found.

While every effort will be made to ensure school transport services are up and running as they are required for children arriving to Ireland from Ukraine, given the ongoing movement and arrival of families, it may in some cases take some time to arrange services for families as information becomes available for those who require school transport.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applicants from County Monaghan for the school transport scheme in 2021 and 2022; the number of students who have applied in 2022 who are currently without a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50578/22]

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.

The number of mainstream tickets issued in Monaghan for the school transport scheme for the 2022/23 school year are detailed below and the increase on the 2021/22 school year is shown.

It is not possible to advise the number of mainstream pupils who did not receive a ticket in the 2022/23 school year as applications are still be assessed and numbers are still being finalised.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the increased capacity put in place for the school transport scheme in 2022; the Government target for the provision of spaces; the forecasted need for capacity by year until 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50579/22]

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.

The School Transport Scheme is a demand led one, Bus Éireann, who operates the scheme on behalf of my Department, review all school transport services annually. Arising from this review, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.

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 services.

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.

Wider considerations relating to the operation of the scheme are now taking place in the next phase of the review which is currently underway. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses.