Bus Éireann operates the School Transport Schemes on behalf of my Department.
Under the terms of these Schemes children are eligible for school transport where they meet the distance eligibility criterion and are attending their nearest school, having regard to ethos and language.
Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from a child's home to the relevant school. Mobile Bus Éireann Inspectors located throughout the country physically conduct these distance measurements where required; a GIS mapping solution may also be used to complement this process. In cases where the distance eligibility is marginal or in dispute, vehicles fitted with calibrated measuring devices which measure the distance down to the nearest metre may be used to establish the exact distance.