Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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761. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the new distance regulations for Bus Éireann school bus catchment areas, 2km/1km, will be updated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44609/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, 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 and Youth.

To date, over 148,000 tickets have issued for the 2025/26 school year, which is an increase of 5% of tickets issued at the same time last year.

Due to the scale of the scheme, the changes as recommended in the review will take time and careful planning to implement. The recommended action as part of the review is to implement any changes on a phased basis. It was outlined at the time of the publication of the review that, given that the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria are likely to further increase demand for the scheme, it is considered prudent to implement the proposed scheme changes on a phased basis.

This is particularly relevant considering the challenges that have been encountered in recent school years and in the current school year where there are continued issues with resource availability (drivers/contractors) across the wider transport sector.

A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024/2025 school year in conjunction with the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann. A total of 14 pilot projects took place in the 2024/2025 school year

It is intended to continue current pilots for the upcoming school year. They will be monitored during the year and a full evaluation will take place at the end of the 2025/2026 school year. This evaluation will provide valuable insights into the impact of increased demand on the scheme, the potential for integrating public transport with school transport services, and opportunities to promote more sustainable modes of transport.

The findings from these evaluations will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme.

Work is now underway to identify where more pilot programmes might be conducted subject to resources. A number of approaches are being examined including the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify how many additional children would become eligible and where they are located. A digital mapping project of all existing school bus routes is being developed and there is ongoing collaboration with the Department of Transport, Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority in regard to planned expansion of public transport routes to explore where integration may be possible.

As intended, following closure of the application process for the 2025/2026 school year consideration is being given to further potential pilots. The School Transport Section of the Department is actively engaging with Bus Éireann, to assess where dedicated school transport pilots may be successfully delivered. The priority is to provide transport to pupils that are eligible under the current terms of the school transport scheme. Provision of additional services as pilot projects will be subject to the availability of vehicles and drivers in each area.

Implementation of the recommendations will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.