Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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774. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if details of a family (details supplied) have been forwarded to her Department for consideration for the remote area grant; the steps the family need to take to pursue this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13695/23]

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 €338.9m.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year pending completion of the review of the School Transport Scheme. This will mean that transport arrangements will continue to be provided for a number of post-primary students who are attending their second nearest school, who have applied and registered on time and who live more than 4.8km from their nearest school. Families who normally would pay an annual ticket charge will not be charged a fee for their school bus ticket for the 2022/23 school.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and ticket registration process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may be offered the Remote Area Grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.

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 and were unsuccessful in obtaining a seat on board the existing school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as the ticket registration was not complete before the closing date of 29 July and the existing service is operating to capacity.