Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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977. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of refunds sought from parents availing of the school transport scheme in Limerick in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [20248/25]

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.

Bus Éireann has advised that the number of families issued a refund in Limerick was 237 for the 2023/24 school year and 183 for the 2024/25 school year.

Bus Éireann has advised that the reason that families were issued a refund include the family no longer requiring school transport, no seat being available for concessionary pupils, late applications, medical card details being received, and overpayment on family accounts.