Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 57 of 24 April 2024, if she will reply to an email submitted to her office (details supplied) regarding school transport in County Meath; and the actions taken to secure school transport for the students concerned commencing from September 2024. [24171/24]

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 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 complete the application process on time, that is apply on time and pay on time, are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may be offered the Remote Area Grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.

Any pupils/students 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.

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/entered child(ren's) medical card details on time.

The closing date for new applications was Friday 26 April 2024. Any new applications made after the closing date are considered late applications. A late application may mean that a ticket is not available. The closing date for payments or submission of medical card details is Friday 07 June 2024.

Bus Éireann have checked the status of the 39 pupils on the list supplied by the Deputy and have advised that some applications/payments have not yet been received for a number of these pupils, as advised above, the payment closing date is 07 June 2024 and following this date, Bus Éireann will examine all school transport applications and services. Routes may be then 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.

Bus Éireann has put in place a dedicated customer care call centre to assist families specifically with School Transport queries during the busy summer period. Families that have queries can contact the call centre on: LoCall 0818 919 910. Operating hours are 09.00 – 17.00 Monday to Friday.

Families can also contact Bus Éireann their website: www.buseireann.ie/schooltransport by submitting a query via: www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=769.

Updates on the application process can be found on www.gov.ie/schooltransport and on buseireann.ie/schooltransport.