Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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265. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport tickets will be facilitated in the case of the two sons of a person (details supplied); if their case will be considered as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3924/23]

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 of Education. In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €332.2m

Under the terms of the Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from their nearest Post Primary School as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may be considered for transport on a concessionary basis in accordance with the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme and subject to the following conditions:

- an application is made by the deadline date

- there is an existing service in place

- there is spare capacity on the service;

Any remaining seats left after eligible children are accommodated are being allocated to concessionary children in the usual way. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann will determine the allocation of the tickets using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann has advised that the family referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport under the terms of the school transport scheme as they are attending their third nearest Post Primary Centre. They were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as the existing service is operating to capacity and there are currently no seats available.