Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1041. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to amending a school bus route to accommodate a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41308/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Bus Éireann has advised that they are currently assessing the route that serves the area where the child referred by the Deputy resides. 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.

Payments or medical card details submitted after the deadline date will be deemed late. A late submission of payment or medical card details may mean that a seat is not available.

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.

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. 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.

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. Parents and guardians are responsible for bringing their children to, or collecting them from, the nearest pick-up point to use the service.