Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what action her Department is taking to ensure that all pupils who require school transport at both primary and post-primary level are facilitated in view that school transport is an essential service for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41486/23]

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 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

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 not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application and payment 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.

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 an agreed selection process.

In addition, temporary alleviation measures will continue for the 2023/24 school year, pending completion of the school transport scheme review. This means that transport will be provided where such services are in operation and there is capacity to do so, for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who apply and pay on time.

A review of the School Transport Scheme is nearing completion. 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.

The final report of the review will include 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.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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278. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the review of the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41487/23]

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 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the beginning of the 2022/2023 school year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

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 nearing completion. 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.

The final report of the review will include 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.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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279. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out in tabular form the number of pupils in Cork who applied for school transport under the primary school transport scheme for 2023/2024, who are regarded as concessionary and who have been refused school transport for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41488/23]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to set out in tabular form the number of pupils in Cork who applied for school transport under the post-primary school transport scheme for 2023/2024, who are regarded as concessionary and who have been refused school transport for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41489/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together.

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023/2024 school year in comparison to the 2022/2023 school year.

The purpose of the school transport scheme is to provide transport to pupils who qualify under the eligibility criteria of the scheme.

In relation to the Deputy's request for pupils in Cork who applied for school transport under the primary and post-primary school transport scheme for 2023/2024, who are regarded as concessionary and who have been refused school transport for the coming year;it is not possible to provide this information in the manner requested by the Deputy, as Bus Éireann continue to issue tickets to families where capacity is available.

Bus Éireann have advised however that in Cork they have issued 13,059 tickets to eligible pupils and 4,602 tickets to concessionary pupils to date at primary and post primary level for the 2023/24 school year.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what action her Department is taking to assist families who are regarded as concessionary under the current school transport scheme and who have not been awarded tickets for this coming year (details supplied), taking into account that these families rely solely on the school bus to take their children to/from school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41490/23]

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 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided in the last school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 7% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

Children are eligible for transport 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 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, will be 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 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.

Bus Éireann have advised that there are four services currently operating to the school referred to by the Deputy. These services cater for 164 pupils inclusive of eligible, concessionary and concessionary TAM (Temporary Alleviation Measure) applicants.

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 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

There was an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.

In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

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

Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

The pupil to who the Deputy refers is eligible for transport.

Bus Éireann has advised that a late application for school transport was submitted by this family in respect of the 2023/24 school year and the Bus Éireann Local Office is currently working though these applications.

Bus Éireann has also confirmed that an update will be provided directly to the family in due course.