Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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308. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the failure to provide a school bus service (details supplied); the actions she will take to work with Bus Éireann to expedite the provision of this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41373/24]

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 reported that unfortunately, for some families who were issued a ticket for the 2024/2025 school year, difficulties have arisen with a small number of contracted services. These services were secured for the 2024/2025 school year and due to reported driver/contractor unavailability at short notice, services could not commence as expected.

Route B9200 is one of the routes affected.

It has been reported that driver shortages are being experienced in many sectors of the economy and throughout the country. While the situation is dynamic with solutions being found, currently this represents approximately 0.5% of vehicles operating mainstream school transport services. Bus Éireann has contacted the affected families directly and will maintain communication with them.

An “Exceptional No Service Interim Grant” payable by the Department, which will be based on the number of days children attend school will be made available to the families. The grant is only available to the small number of families who have already received a school transport ticket from Bus Éireann and where difficulties have meant that transport is not be in place for the start of the school year.

Bus Éireann have contacted these families directly. Families do not need to make an application for the exceptional payment. Those who have been issued a ticket and do not have a service in place will be contacted by School Transport Section in the Department.

Work is continuing in order to resolve this matter and Bus Éireann is committed to providing transport to these students as quickly as is possible.