Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018
366. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills when improvements will be made to the school transport service in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45873/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
Children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2018/19 school year.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport and may be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
