Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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369. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to indicate in respect of school places and schools transport in Clane and Straffan, County Kildare, the extent to which she and her Department remain in consultation with the various school authorities in order to maximise the ability to meet any challenges in the short to medium-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23231/23]

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 149,000 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. There has been an increase of 21% tickets issued to eligible students and 38% tickets issued to concessionary tickets in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.

In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

The School Transport Scheme is an important service for families and children.

The purpose of the 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.

A review of the School Transport Scheme is underway. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.

Phase 1 of the review examined the impact of eligibility criteria on mainstream pupils who were eligible for transport to their nearest school but attending their next nearest school. The report was completed in June 2021.

Following consideration of this report, for the 2021/2022 school year, the provision of temporary alleviation measures was approved for transport for post-primary students who are otherwise eligible for school transport, but were attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time. These measures have been continued for the current 2022/2023 school year, and will again continue in the 2023/2024 school year pending completion of the review.

It is planned the review will be completed shortly with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme. Once approved by Government it is planned that the review will be published.

For the 2023/2024 school year and pending completion of the review, it remains that 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 are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

In addition, as mentioned above, temporary alleviation measures have been continued for the 2023/2024 school year, pending completion of the review.

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.

My Department has received correspondence in relation to school transport in the Clane and Straffan area representing families who have not received tickets for the current school year (2022/2023) as they are not eligible for transport under the terms of the School Transport Scheme. Families have been made aware that if they 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. Full information is available on the School Transport Section of my Department's website.

Bus Éireann will review applications and plan routes during the summer months for the upcoming school year. The closing date for new applications for the 2023/2024 school year was Friday 28^thApril. The closing date for payment/entering medical details for tickets for the 2023/2024 school year in Friday 9^thJune. It is only after this time that Bus Éireann will know how many applications have been received and paid for and at which point services will be planned for the upcoming school year.

Pending completion of the review, there will be no removal or downsizing of buses/routes for the 2023/2024 school year.