Written answers

Monday, 8 September 2025

Department of Education and Skills

School Transport

Photo of Ken O'FlynnKen O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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788. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the ongoing issues regarding school transport provision in the areas of Whitechurch, Blarney, and Upper Glanmire; the immediate measures being taken to ensure that children attending schools (details supplied) can access school bus places for the 2025-2026 academic year given that a number of families in these areas have been unable to secure transport and now face significant logistical and financial difficulties as a result. [44943/25]

Photo of Michael MoynihanMichael 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. Over 148,000 tickets have issued to date for the 2025/26 school year, which is more than 5% more than the same time last year.

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.

The service details for the three schools referred to by the Deputy – in the order in which they were provided on the details supplied - are as follows:

School 1:

This school has 3 services, catering for 93 pupils in total.

School 2:

This school currently has 6 services, catering for 309 pupils in total. This includes a service that has been upgraded for the 2025/26 school year.

There is also a new service out to tender for pupils attending this school, which should cater for an additional 21 pupils. Bus Éireann will contact the relevant families when the service is ready to commence.

School 3:

This school has 4 services, catering for 166 pupils. One of these services is new for the 2025/26 school year.

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