Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review correspondence (details supplied); if she will address the concerns raised; if an arrangements can be put in place to ensure that eligible children in this area have access to school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49734/25]

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 current School Transport Schemes children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann has advised that in recent weeks they issued tickets for school transport on bus services that had been secured for the 2025/26 school year. Unfortunately, a number of difficulties have arisen in having services in place for the start of the new school year in some localities with a small number of contracted services.

Bus Éireann further advise that a service for the child referred to by the Deputy has now commenced on 17th September 2025 for the 2025/26 school year.

For families who have been issued with a tickets on board one of these services affected, the Department is sanctioning an interim arrangement to assist with the cost of alternative arrangements until your service is in place.

This payment will be paid as an exceptional measure and will be calculated from the date the service was due to commence up to the date that a service in provided .

The interim grant for children on main stream services, the Exceptional Interim Grant (EIG), is linked to ticket holders and is paid for the number of days that children attended school from 25th August 2025 until a school transport service commences.

School Transport Section of my department will be writing to all families affected to offer the grants mentioned above in the coming weeks.