Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 June 2016
226. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills to what extent the contribution from parents for students availing of the school transport scheme on a concessionary basis covers the cost of providing the service; and the amount of parental contributions that would cover the cost of providing the scheme for primary, secondary and special needs students. [14662/16]
View answerIn 2015, parental contributions amounted to over €13 million, representing 7.9% of the total cost of the School Transport Scheme.
The annual charge currently applied for primary school transport for both eligible and concessionary tickets is €100 per child per annum, or a family maximum of €220 for primary children only while at post primary level the current charge is €350, or an overall family maximum of €650.
The charge payable is a contribution towards the overall cost and does not actually reflect the true cost of providing school transport services.
For the 2015/16 school year, over 11,000 children at both primary and post primary level availed of school transport on a concessionary basis.
