Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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278. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the available supports related to school transport for students who cannot obtain a school place in their locality during the school year and must continue to travel to schools a distance away from their home. [60191/22]

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.

Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Families who wish to avail of school transport and have their eligibility status assessed should apply on-line in a timely manner to Bus Éireann on Bus Éireann’s website at www.buseireann.ie.

Families may still apply for school transport following the closing date, but if their application is late they may not secure a seat on a service and will not be considered for a remote area grant.

Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department, will contact all applicants regarding their eligibility for school transport:

Pupils who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis in accordance with the terms of the School Transport Schemes and subject to the following conditions:

- a Transport Application Form is completed and submitted to Bus Éireann;

- there is a suitable service, as determined by Bus Éireann, operating into their education centre;

- there is spare capacity on the service

Any remaining seats left after eligible pupils are accommodated are then allocated to concessionary pupils.  Where there is a transport service available, Bus Éireann liaise directly with families.

In cases where the department is satisfied that the pupil's nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance the pupil lives from the next nearest school in relation to ethos and language.

To establish that the nearest school is full families must provide evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school, and a letter from the school authorities confirming that the school was full at the time of enrolment.

Further information in relation to the School Transport Scheme can be found at: www.gov.ie/schooltransport