Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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468. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any financial supports available to families who are utilising private school transport, i.e., their children are not attending what is deemed their closest school, on the grounds of financial hardship, given the financial burden private transport can place on families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44890/24]

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.

Under the 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.

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 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.

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.

In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest/next nearest schools are full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance the pupil resides from the next nearest school having regard to ethos and language.

To establish that the nearest schools are full parents must provide evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the schools and a letter from the relevant School Authorities confirming that the schools were full. This documentation can be sent to the School Transport Section of the Department for consideration.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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469. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to indicate if special school transport can be facilitated in the case of a child (details supplied); if every effort can be made to ensure school transport is facilitated in his case given his ongoing complex needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44897/24]

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.

The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education and Skills on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.

I am pleased to advise that the child referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms of the scheme. This child was previously availing of a dedicated school transport service with others however, the service was recently reported as not suitable for the child. Following this, a sanction was sent by School Transport Section of my Department to Bus Éireann for the establishment of a new individual service for this child.

Bus Éireann is in the process of tendering and allocating a contractor to operate this service. Once a contractor has been sourced, and the documentation and Garda vetting clearance are in order, the service will commence. Bus Éireann will liaise with family directly with regard to this matter at that stage.

Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore apply for the Special Transport Grant which is a once off payment, paid retrospectively to families once the School Transport service is in place and is to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until services are finalised. The family of the child referred to by the Deputy have been offered this grant until the commencement of a service.