John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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67. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school bus route will be provided with a larger bus to accommodate students (details supplied). [57646/25]

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 Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest primary school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application 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.

Under the terms of the scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year based on the capacity on the buses running on all the various routes and the number of eligible children accommodated on each route.

Due to 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.

Bus Eireann has advised that the family, to whom the Deputy refers to, are not eligible for school transport as they are attending their second nearest primary school and were not successful in receiving concessionary tickets for the 2025/2026 school year. It is not possible to extend services for concessionary pupils under the terms of the scheme.