Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine the response issued to the parents of a pupil (details supplied); if she will consider removing the nearest school criteria so that pupils are not locked out of school transport for attending other schools that better meet their needs but are not their closest school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16400/25]

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 daily 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 in 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.

Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Eligible children who complete the application process and pay or enter their medical card details on time will get a seat on a school bus service, if a service is available.

Children who are not eligible for school transport but complete the application and pay or enter their medical card details on time will be considered for any spare seats available after eligible children have been accommodated. These spare seats are called concessionary seats.

There may be more demand than availability for concessionary seats. In such cases, Bus Éireann will use a selection process to allocate tickets for the spare seats.

Temporary alleviation measures will continue for the 2025/26 school year at post-primary level. This means that, if there are available services and enough capacity, transport will be provided for concessionary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school but are attending their second nearest school or post-primary centre. This is only if they apply on time and pay or enter medical card details on time.

Bus Éireann, has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is attending his second nearest school and therefore he is not eligible for school transport under the Primary and Post Primary School Transport Scheme.

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Once routes have been finalised, Bus Éireann will assign tickets for each school transport service. Tickets will begin to issue in mid-July and will continue to issue throughout July and August. Families who are unsuccessful in obtaining a seat will be notified via email and a refund will issue.

If a family has applied to attend their nearest school in regard to ethos and language and have been advised by the school authorities that it is full, the department will consider if the pupil is eligible to their next nearest school.

In this regard, families should provide the following documentary evidence as proof:

• an application for enrolment that was made within the deadline dates specified by the school, and
• a letter from the school authorities confirming that the school was full at time of enrolment.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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220. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how the school bus route in the Castlecomer/Muckalee, County Kilkenny area which has been established for a long period of time has suddenly been changed without any notice to parents (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16401/25]

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 daily 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 in 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.

Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.

Bus Éireann have advised that contractors for the routes in question were operating incorrect drop off locations in the afternoon only which resulted in pupils being dropped directly to their homes. This had a knock on effect as both routes are part of a double trip and were arriving late to the post primary schools in the afternoon.

Once this came to light, Bus Éireann instructed the contractors in question to operate the correct routes in the afternoon which has now resulted in some families no longer receiving a drop off to their home address and instead are dropped off at their designated drop off point.