Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will, in deliberations, give priority to, and thereafter expedite, the urgently-needed second bus in the Rathcoffey-Maynooth educational environs, where at least 50 children are already waiting and left without the necessary service, and where yet more children will be requiring that service in the new academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22675/23]

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. 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 5,200 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 my 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 will be 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.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport, availability may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s post primary school education cycle. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann will determine the allocation of the tickets using a random selection process.

With regard the 2023/2024 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. Following this closing date, Bus Éireann will review all school transport services over the summer months. Arising from this , routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.