Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Transport
Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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597. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she can engage with the school transport section to help liaise with Bus Éireann to re-locate the Ballyboughal school bus stop as the community considers the current location unsafe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1200/25]
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 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over 143,800 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 21,700 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The scheme is made up of three separate schemes, the school transport scheme for primary, post primary and for children with special educational needs. Transport is also provided for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and those residing in IPAS/EROC centres.
The total expenditure on the scheme in 2024 was €512m.
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 3.2kms from and are attending their nearest national school. At post primary level, they are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8kms 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.
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.
Bus Éireann has advised that pupils home addresses in the Ballyboughal area would determine their eligibility to Lusk Community College. In general pupils residing in this area are not eligible for transport as they reside nearer to another post primary centre.
Bus Éireann has also confirmed that currently there is one mainstream service which is a 53 seat vehicle operating to the school in question and the nearest pick-up point is approximately 3.6km from where these pupils reside. This service accommodates mainstream eligible pupils, temporary alleviation measure pupils and mainstream concessionary pupils on board.
Bus Éireann Local Area Inspector has reviewed the existing pick-up point and has deemed this pick-up point as safe. Regarding the existing pick-up point, the road is not considered to be any more dangerous than other approach roads to pick-up points in use throughout the country.
There is an onus of responsibility on parents/guardians to arrange to bring their children to and from the pick-up point of a school bus service, taking whatever safety precautions they consider sufficient in doing so, and accompanying the children to ensure their safety and allay any concern, if necessary.
It is not possible to extend the service to Ballyboughal due to time constraints as this service also operates a mainstream primary school transport service with the same vehicle.
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