Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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567. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children that were accommodated on the school transport scheme for this academic year; the number that was accommodated last year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54713/22]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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585. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary school children per county who are still awaiting a place on the school transport scheme in tabular form. [55005/22]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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586. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of secondary school children per county who are still awaiting a place on the school transport scheme in tabular form. [55006/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 585 and 586 together.

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. Already over 126,000 tickets for the 2022/2023 school year have been issued to applicants for the new 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. 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 addition, pending completion of the outcome of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport will provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied by the 29 April and registered for a ticket by the 29 July.

As part of the budgetary process some additional funding has been approved for the scheme which will allow officials in consultation with Bus Éireann to consider and evaluate where temporary additional capacity may be available.

The initial focus will be where families applied on time and who previously held concessionary tickets, however, it is important to stress that this is subject to capacity considerations. Constraints in sourcing vehicles and drivers in certain areas of the country may also mean that it may take a number of weeks to explore solutions for additional capacity.

All children who are eligible and who completed the application and registration process on time have been accommodated for the current school year. I am unable to provide the final figures for the current school year as Bus Eireann are continuing to assess school transport routes and capacity and where capacity exists on these routes Bus Eireann will continue to allocate tickets on a concessionary basis.