Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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982. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to using more small buses for school transport in rural areas where big buses cannot turn corners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46672/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a demand led scheme based on the number of children who apply. The scheme is operated using a mix of Bus Éireann owned vehicles and directly recruited drivers, and private contractors who recruit their own drivers to operate on the scheme.

As part of the operation of the scheme, Bus Éireann manages the procurement tender process and contract management arrangements to include services provided by contractors under the School Transport Scheme. In the 2024/25 school year, the school transport scheme operated over 10,600 routes using 8,200 vehicles nationally.

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.

Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 3.2 kms to or from a pick-up/set down point. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.