Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the changes she has made to the school transport scheme this year for the Straffan bus for pupils attending schools in Maynooth in the 2024-2025 academic year; and the way in which more concessionary passengers will be accommodated on this service. [21286/24]

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 travelling 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.

Temporary Alleviation Measures are in place for the 2024/2025 school year, which allow for the provision of transport for post-primary students who were otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time. In effect, these students remain to be considered as concessionary but transport Is provided for students who met the criteria where there are existing services available.

In cases where the Department is satisfied that a pupil's nearest/next nearest schools are full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance a family resides from their next nearest school having regard to ethos and language.

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(s).

To establish that the nearest schools are 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.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline, for those who are struggling to find a school place and do not get one until after the date for school transport has closed, the way in which they will be accommodated on the school transport scheme, including concessionary passengers who cannot apply because they do not know where they will be offered a place. [21287/24]

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 are being transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. This figure includes over 135,000 children on mainstream services, 19,800 on children with special educational needs, and 6,800 children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine.

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.

Any children who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.

The deadline date for new applications for school transport services for the 2024/45 year was the 26 April. The Bus Éireann school transport portal will accept payments/medical card details until 7 June 2024. Families can apply after the deadline dates and if there is capacity on a service, and the pupils fall within the eligibility criteria, a ticket will issue. However a ticket cannot be guaranteed at that stage.

Families are advised to apply for transport to the school that they wish their child to attend. It should be noted that the details submitted in the application can be amended at a later date if necessary, and the application will be deemed to be an on-time application if the original application was made before the closing date. Families are advised in such circumstances that they should amend the application and not cancel and re-submit the application, as to cancel and re-submit after the closing date would deem the application to be late. Normal eligibility criteria will continue to apply to any amended application.