Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the circumstances in which children qualify for school transport to a primary school which is not their nearest school in situations where their nearest primary school is at capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22009/23]

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 Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest primary school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

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

Due to 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.

Under the terms of the scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year based on the capacity on the buses running on all of the various routes and the number of eligible children accommodated on each route.

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.

If families have applied to attend their nearest school in regards to ethos and language and have been advised by the school authorities that it is full, my Department will consider if students can be deemed eligible for transport to the next nearest school.

To establish that the nearest school is full parents must provide:-

• The steps taken to enrol their 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 enrolment.