Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the school transport scheme in County Mayo; if the service from Derryfadda and Boleyglass to Crossmolina, which operated until 2021, will be reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8616/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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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 current terms of the School Transport Schemes, children at post primary level, 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.

Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 3.2 km to or from a pick-up/set down point or to have travel and waiting times in excess of 1.5 hours per day. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.

Bus Eireann have confirmed that there are both eligible and concessionary pupils availing of the current service, in the area that is referred to by the Deputy, and that all eligible pupils are within guidelines to their closest pick-up point.

The service that is mentioned ceased operating in 2021 as the pupil residing at this pick-up point no longer required transport and Bus Eireann were then unable to turn at this location.