Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
379. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications received under the post-primary school transport scheme from counties Cavan and Monaghan in 2014 and 2015 in tabular form; the number which were deemed to be ineligible; the number of ineligible applications which were refused due to applicants not attending their nearest school in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24380/16]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
Bus Éireann has advised that the level of information requested by the Deputy is not readily available for the 2014/15 school year.
However, Bus Éireann has advised that 1,183 new applications were submitted and completed for post primary school transport in Cavan and Monaghan for the 2015/16 school year. The breakdown of this figure is as follows:-
943 children who were eligible for school transport; 240 children who were not eligible for school transport.
It is not possible to report on the number of new applicants who were not eligible for school transport because they are not attending their nearest school.
