Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 November 2018
71. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children from counties Carlow and Kilkenny that applied for concessionary school transport tickets and were not allocated same; when affected families were notified; his plans to review the workings of the school transport system in particular the system for the allocation of concessionary tickets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49537/18]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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 eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria, are attending their nearest school and it is economically feasible to provide a service.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the current school year where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport 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 allocates tickets for the spare seats on the basis of an agreed selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that 56 children in counties Carlow and Kilkenny were unsuccessful in obtaining school transport on a concessionary basis for the 2018/19 school year; of these 28 were late in submitting their payment details and were not considered in the allocation of spare seats. Families who paid on time and did not receive a ticket were notified at the beginning of August and refunds were issued.
The terms of the scheme (which are regularly communicated) make it clear that concessionary places are not guaranteed for the duration of a child's education.
The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
