Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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342. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will respond on an issue raised by a person (details supplied). [6788/23]

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 4,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. Safety of children travelling on the school transport services is of paramount importance to the Department and to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.

Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.

Bus Éireann has advised that the routes referred to by the Deputy are being examined by the Schools Service Inspector. Families who have applied for school transport to the school referred to by the Deputy will be contacted directly in relation to this matter.