Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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518. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school bus escorts hours are being reduced across the State, and if so, the reason. [52096/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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519. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is her view that bus escorts should not be paid until the moment a child first steps on the bus, which fails to account for work done by bus escorts before and after children get on and off the school bus. [52097/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 519 together.

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.

There is a facility within the Special Educational Needs Transport Scheme for the appointment of a school transport escort where a child’s care and safety needs while on school transport are such as to require the support of a School Transport Escort.

The Board of Management/ETB are responsible for the employment of the school transport escort. The Department of Education and Youth provides grant funding directly to the school for the employment of the school transport escort and sets the rate of pay.

The Board of Management/ETB, as the employer has responsibility for keeping up to date and complying with policies and legislation relating to terms and conditions of employment. Amongst its obligations, the Employer (Board of Management/ETB) must provide the employee with a contract of employment which must include minimum information as prescribed by the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994.

It is recognised that school bus escorts play a vital role in supporting children with special educational needs in their journey to and from school. A review of the School Transport Scheme has been completed. This review was conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness, and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately. As a recommended action arising from the review, the Department committed to continuing the comprehensive analysis of matters as they relate to the escort's pay, and the information provided to schools as the employer of the escort.

The work by School Transport Section regarding the employment of school bus escorts has been completed and an information pack has issued to schools. This pack is updated on an ongoing basis.

School bus escort hours are determined locally by the Board of Management/ETB and may vary from school to school depending on the length of the journey for the child/children on the service, the number of children on the service and the opening/closing times of the school.

The school bus escort will generally be considered as starting their working day when the first child who requires escort assistance boards the service and will generally be considered as finishing their working day when the last child who requires escort assistance is dropped at their destination. These times, morning and afternoon, determine the working hours of the escort.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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520. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 324 of 23 September 2025, if she will confirm that the route (details supplied) has been sanctioned by her Department given information from Bus Éireann suggests this is where the delay lies; if she will ensure sanctioning occurs at the earliest opportunity so the route can go to tender to cater for the children who have already been deemed eligible for transport on this route; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52151/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Further to my previous response to the Deputy, I can confirm that School Transport Section has been liaising with Bus Éireann in relation to the school transport applications of pupils for whom Rathcoole ETNS is their closest school but for whom applications were submitted after the deadline date.

Bus Éireann has been requested to source a suitable service for these pupils and families will be contacted directly in this regard.

Under the terms of the Primary School Transport scheme, 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 as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

In cases where families have applied to attend their nearest schools with regard to ethos and language, and have been advised by the school authorities that these schools are full, the Department will consider if the pupil is eligible to the next nearest school.

While the closest school(s) may be full to capacity at present, each family must supply the documents mentioned below, to School Transport Section of the Department of Education and Youth.

• an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school(s), and
• a letter from each of the school authorities confirming that the school was full.