Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will guarantee a school bus service as opposed to a community based local link service (details supplied) which is recommended under the NTA Route 343 Amendment Proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24150/24]

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.

Children are eligible for transport at post-primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest 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.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.

Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) at post-primary level, which have been in place since 2019, are being continued for the 2024/25 school year. Under these measures, transport is provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.

The closing date for new applications for the 2024/25 school year was Friday 26th April 2024. The closing date for payment/entering medical details for tickets for the 2024/25 school year is Friday 7th 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.

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.

The families in question are urged to apply for transport as soon as possible. Once an application has been made the families will have sight of their eligibility status and will be considered by Bus Éireann for school transport tickets in accordance with the aforementioned terms of the School Transport Scheme.

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. It 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.

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 the best value for money to the Exchequer.

A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations will begin in September 2024. This will include a shared effort between my Department and the Department of Transport to pilot and introduce greater integration of transport networks with school transport routes. Further details on these pilot areas will be available shortly.

It is intended, subject to resources, to commence implementing the revised eligibility criteria in the 2025/2026 school year.