School Transport Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 December 2016

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Questions (115)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

115. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills if, in instances in which children are in foster care and carers have been instructed to ensure that a child placed in their care attends a certain school as per the child's care plan, the child's medical card will be accepted for the purpose of school transport via the school transport schemes even if the specified education centre is not the nearest school to their place of temporary residence during the period for which the child remains in foster care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39093/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Currently over 113,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

Under the terms of my Department's Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 or 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school or post primary centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

If the Deputy wishes to submit details of a specific case to my Department, the matter can be examined.