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 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils traveling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.

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 and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2024/25 school year.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed 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.

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.

Bus Eireann have advised that the family, referred to by the Deputy, have made an application but not yet paid for school transport for the 2024/25 school year. Bus Éireann has also advised that the family are not eligible for school transport as they are attending the third nearest school from where they reside.

The family will be considered for school transport in line with mainstream concessionary policy for the 2024/25 school year once payment is received before the payment closing date of 7th June 2024.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils traveling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.

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.

A review of the School Transport Scheme has been completed. This review was conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness, and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately.

The School Transport Scheme 2030 report has now been published, which marks the largest review of the School Transport Scheme since it was established in 1967. The Government is committed to working to achieve the report’s recommendation of expanding access to the scheme so that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030. Throughout the review, the value of the School Transport Scheme to both families and in supporting wider Government policies has been very apparent. In summary, school transport not only plays an important part in supporting children's access to education, but it also aligns to wider Government objectives.

Overall the recommended changes to the future operation of the Scheme concern:

• expansion of the current eligibility criteria,

• addressing current operational challenges

• charges and grants and

• over time, moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure optimum value for money to the Exchequer

A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations will commence in September 2024. This will include a shared effort between my Department and the Department of Transport to pilot and introduce greater integration of the roll out of transport networks with school transport routes, with a view to expanding provision of transport and reducing the reliance over time on individual car trips for school journeys. It is intended, subject to resources, to commence implementing the revised eligibility criteria in the 2025/2026 school year.

The closing date for new applications for the 2024/25 school year was Friday 26^th April 2024. The closing date for payment/entering medical details for tickets for the 2024/25 school year is Friday 7^th June 2024. It is only after this time that Bus Éireann will know how many applications have been received and paid for. At that point, services will be planned for the upcoming school year.

There will be no removal or downsizing of buses/routes for the 2024/2025 school year.