Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

329. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 19 October 2022, the number of applicants for the school transport scheme in County Monaghan in 2022 who have yet to receive a bus ticket; the way that plans can be put in place to facilitate these students if this figure is not available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56275/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

All on time mainstream eligible pupils have been issued with tickets and all mainstream concessionary pupils who met the qualifying criteria of the scheme have been allocated tickets for the 2022/23 school year.

Bus Éireann has advised that as of November this year 4000 mainstream tickets have been issued in county Monaghan which includes tickets issued to eligible pupils and those travelling on a concessionary basis.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition, pending completion of the outcome of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level have continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, transport will be 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 29th April and registered for a ticket by the 29th July.

The information required cannot be provided in the manner requested by the Deputy as Bus Éireann continue to consider and evaluate where additional capacity may be available. Bus Éireann have been prioritising areas where there were “on time concessionary pupils” who had tickets previously.

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.