Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 420 of 14 October 2025, if she will consider and address the matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding a school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57592/25]

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.

The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

The School Transport Scheme is significant in scale and changes as recommended in the review will take time and careful planning to implement. The recommended action as part of the review is to implement any changes on a phased basis. It was outlined at the time of the publication of the review that, given that the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria are likely to further increase demand for the scheme, it is considered prudent to implement the proposed scheme changes on a phased basis.

This is particularly relevant considering the challenges that have been encountered in recent school years and in the current school year where there are continued issues with resource availability (drivers/contractors) across the wider transport sector.

Priority is to provide transport to pupils deemed eligible under the current criteria. Implementation of the recommendations of the review will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.

Under the current terms of the 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.

Eligible children who complete the application process and pay or enter their medical card details on time will get a seat on a school bus service, if a service is available.

Children who are not eligible but who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places. In these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

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.

As you are aware, 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.