Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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447. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the provision of school bus transport services in Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44683/24]

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 provided the information requested by the Deputy on the provision of school bus transport services in County Kildare in the table below.

Provision of school bus services in Kildare

*Please note the above data is from the Period 10, 2024 KPI’s.