Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 October 2016
129. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will take steps to ensure that two people (details supplied) are immediately provided with school bus tickets and are allowed to take a place on a school bus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29139/16]
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.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport 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.
Bus Éireann has advised that the children in question are eligible for school transport but that the family was late in submitting their payment by which time all seats on the service in question had been allocated for the 2016/17 school year. Bus Éireann will issue a refund to this family.
