Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application made for bus tickets for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4912/23]

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. 

Children are eligible for transport at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

In line with normal practice, all eligible children who completed the application and ticket registration process on time for the 2022/2023 school year are now 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 (TAM) at post-primary level have been continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, where it is in operation, transport is 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.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport.  Bus Éireann further advised the pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 2022/23 school year as the service is full to capacity.