Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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357. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department can outline what the "agreed selection process" is for allocating the concessionary tickets when a school-bus route is oversubscribed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14646/23]

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.

Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time for the 2022/2023 school year are now all accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats. Depending on the number of seats available, seats are allocated as follows:

- Existing concessionary applicants who have applied and paid by the deadline dates

- New concessionary applicants who have applied and paid by the deadline dates

Bus Éireann consider all on time applications and where possible, try to facilitate family members of existing applicants once they have applied and paid on time. 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.

Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.

As the Deputy is aware the Bus Éireann family portal is now open for new applications only for school transport services for the 2023/24 school year. New applications are considered as:

- Pupils who will be attending junior infants in primary school or first year in post-primary school for the first time in 2023.

- Pupils that may move home address or will be attending a new school for the 2023/24 school year

Applications can be made by visiting www.buseireann.ie/schooltransport and the closing date for new applications is Friday 28 April 2023.

Any new applications made after the closing date are considered late applications and families may not receive a ticket.

Families do not need to make a new application if they have already applied in previous year(s) as the pupil's application will ‘rollover’ for the 2023/24 school year.

The Bus Éireann family portal will be open to accept payments/medical card details from the 3 April 2023 until 9 June 2023. Payment made after the deadline date will be deemed late and a seat may not be available to families at that stage.

Payments/medical card details must be submitted for:

- new applicants, and;

- Pupils who have previously applied/availed of school transport and require a seat on a service for the 23/24 school year.

Children (who are eligible for school transport) and who possess valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge however, their medical card details must be submitted to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann will accept medical card details from 3 April 2023 until 9 June 2023. Medical card details received after 9 of June deadline are considered late.

Families are strongly urged to make sure that they pay/enter valid medical card details on or before the deadline of 9 of June 2023.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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358. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what plans are in place to address capacity of vehicles and personnel on school-bus routes for the coming academic year, with special reference to North Kildare which has been so badly affected in lack of places, resulting in serious difficulties for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14647/23]

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 4,500 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.

Under the terms of the Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2023/24 school year.

In addition, temporary alleviation measures have been continued for the 2023/2024 school year(s), pending completion of the review and this means that transport will be provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who apply and pay by the closing dates.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services.

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 a random selection process. Where there is a transport service available, Bus Éireann liaise with families regarding ticketing etc.

In cases where the Department is satisfied that a family's nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance they reside from the next nearest school having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann have confirmed that families in this area are attending their third and fourth closest schools. They have been requested to provide the details below which have not yet been received in School Transport Section.

- The steps taken to enrol your child in the nearest and next nearest schools

- 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 enrollment for your child

This documentation can be sent to school transport section at the address below for consideration to school_transport@education.gov.ie