Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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215. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to indicate the steps being taken by her Department to better manage data on busy school transport routes to ensure that all places allocated are being utilised and being reassigned; in the event that they are not, to ensure that all school transport offered is being utilised to its highest capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30843/24]

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.

With regard to ticket usage, it is recognised that all pupils issued with tickets will not travel every morning and every evening. In addition, certain after school activities may also result in pupils not travelling on certain days. Bus Éireann organises for vehicles to be full to capacity with tickets based on applications received and based on the seating capacity of the vehicle. For safety reasons, it is not possible to issue additional tickets over and above the seating capacity of the vehicle which could result in a potential overload situation arising and all pupils not being carried on the service.

The Department of Education is currently progressing a number of technological improvements to the School Transport Scheme, including the planned introduction of eTicketing. Not only will eTickets replace the current printed paper tickets but eTicketing will provide accurate information on ticket utilisation, which is currently not readily available.