Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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577. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school bus ticket (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49052/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The purpose of the scheme is to provide transport for children living remotely from their nearest school.

Bus Éireann has advised that this family applied for school transport on the 23rd of July 2025. Bus Éireann has further advised that this pupil can be accommodated on an existing route and a ticket will be issued to the family in the coming days.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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578. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a school pick-up (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49059/25]

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.

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 or to have travel and waiting times in excess of 1.5 hours per day. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.

Bus Éireann have advised that the pupil, to whom the Deputy refers to, is eligible for school transport and resides 3.1kms to the pick-up point and that the current service operates on a main road and for safety reasons no closer pick up point can be accommodated on this route.

Bus Éireann also advise that the family have applied for transport but a ticket has not issued to date as payment has not been received.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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579. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a school pick-up (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49060/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.

Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for transport and has been issued a ticket for the 2025/26 school year.

Bus Éireann has further advised that this pupil can be accommodated on a pick-up point which is approximately 600 metres from home of the child referred.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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580. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on an application for school transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49061/25]

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.

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, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.

In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance a child resides from his/her next nearest school having regard to ethos and language.

To establish that the nearest school is full parents must provide the following to School Transport Section of my Department for consideration:

1. Evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school and

2. A letter from the School Authorities confirming that the school was full at time of application.

My Department has previously received the above information and of the seventeen pupils referred to by the Deputy, nine of the pupils have applied for transport and of which seven have been deemed eligible as they are attending their second nearest school as their nearest school is full.

As there are less than 10 eligible pupils , they would not be eligible for a new service, but their applications will be rolled over to the 2026/2027 school year and will be assessed in line with all existing and new applications at that time.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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581. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 933 of 8 September 2025, the school bus pick-up point will be reviewed in view of the circumstances of a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49066/25]

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.

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. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.

Bus Éireann has advised that this family are not eligible for transport as they are attending their second nearest Post Primary Centre. They advise that the pupil resides 2.3 kilometres from home to the pick-up point which is within the guidelines of the scheme.

Bus Éireann's Inspector has also reviewed the existing pickup point and has deemed this pickup point as safe.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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582. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 931 of 8 September 2025, if the school bus pick-up point will be reviewed given the circumstances of the case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49067/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The purpose of the scheme is to provide transport for children living remotely from their nearest school.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for transport as he is attending his nearest Post Primary Centre. They advise that the pupil resides 2.3 km from home to the pick-up point and is receiving transport to a pickup point within the guidelines of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme.

Bus Éireann has reviewed the pick up point that is being requested. They have advised that this pick-up cannot be currently served as there is no suitable safe turning point available in the area for the large bus operating the service.