Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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803.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she and her Department expect to be in a position to improve school transport serving primary and second level schools throughout Carlow and countrywide in line with the enrolment requirements and admissions for September 2024; if her Department is aware of issues concerning adequate space on transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32742/24]

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 schools throughout the country.

This figure comprises over 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine

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

Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kms 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, who apply 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.

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.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.

Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.

It should be noted that planning for school transport services in any given year will commence in the December to January preceding the start of that school year. In this regard planning for the 2024/2025 school year is well underway with my officials in regular engagement with Bus éireann.

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 include:

• 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.

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.

The scale of the scheme is significant, and any changes will take time to plan and implement. Therefore, it is considered prudent to implement the proposed scheme changes on a phased basis.

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

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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804.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration can be given to the Taoiseach’s remarks on 2 July (details supplied) around a co-ordinated approach to school transport and the progress which may be made with schemes such as local link; and if, in light of there being no public bus to use a concessionary fare on, she will support the provision of a school bus route from Bantry to Schull, beginning in the upcoming academic year. [32766/24]

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 2023/24 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 were 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.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school. At post primary level, they are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre. Distance is determined by the Department/Bus éireann and rules have regard to ethos and language.

Parents of children wishing to avail of school transport services are required to apply on-line to Bus éireann’s website at buseireann.ie/schooltransport.

The closing date for new applications for the school year 2024/25 was 26 April 2024 and the closing date for payment was 07 June 2024.

Families may still apply for school transport following this date, but if the application or payment is late they may not secure a seat on a service and will not be considered for a remote area grant.

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.

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 there is capacity to do so.

Children who are not eligible but who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Because of 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.

Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) at post primary level are continued for the current school year. Under these measures, transport will be 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, are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.

A review of the School Transport Scheme has been completed and the School Transport Scheme 2030 report has now been published. 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.

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.

The scale of the scheme is significant, and any changes will take time to plan and implement. Therefore, it is considered prudent to implement the proposed scheme changes on a phased basis and this will commence in September 2024.

As indicated at the time of the launch of the School Transport Review, these changes will include a shared effort between the Department of Education and the Department of Transport, supported by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Bus éireann, to pilot and introduce greater integration of existing public transport networks with post-primary school transport routes.

The planned pilot projects in the 2024/2025 school year will provide valuable insights on the impact increased demand will have on the scheme, the potential to integrate public transport services with school transport service and the facilitation of more sustainable modes of transport.

These insights will give an indication of the scale of planning and implementation required for national implementation of a revised School Transport Scheme, to include the integration of public transport and school transport services.

In the coming weeks, consideration will be given to further pilots in other areas of the country. These will be considered in areas where potential demand exists and where capacity or resources are not a particular issue.

Bus éireann has advised that for the 2023/2024 school year, 9 of the students availing of the service to the school were concessionary students and 7 pupils had a ticket under the Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMs) that have been in place since 2019.

Bus éireann further advised that 4 concessionary pupils did not receive a seat for the 2023/2024 school year.

Most of the students reside closer to Bantry, Skibbereen, Dunmanway and Kenmare and are therefore deemed not eligible for transport.

Bus éireann are currently assessing all applications and planning for routes and services for the 2024/25 school year following the closing date for payments. Once routes have been finalised, Bus éireann will assign tickets for each vehicle. Tickets will begin to issue in mid-July and will continue to issue throughout July and August. Families who are unsuccessful in obtaining a seat will be notified via email and a refund will issue.