Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 185 of 1 October 2024, the reason it appears a new route has not been considered in light of the fact that well over ten names of relevant students have been put forward to her Department already. [41048/24]

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 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 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.

Over 140,000 mainstream tickets have issued for the 2024/2025 school year, which is already 3% more than the total tickets issued for the full 2023/2024 school year.

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.

Bus Éireann has advised that the distance from the pupils home addresses to school in the area in question determine their eligibility to the school reference by the Deputy.

Bus Éireann has also reported that, in general pupils residing in this area are not eligible for transport as they reside nearer to another post primary centre. Consideration in these cases would not be given to establishing a new service under the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme.

Families of individual pupils may however, wish to contact their local Bus Éireann office in order to obtain confirmation as to a pupil's eligibility under to Post Primary School Transport Scheme.

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

Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time (apply on time and pay on time) are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation and 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.

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.