Seamus Healy
Question:72. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of school transport for children (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [24638/19]
View answerThursday, 13 June 2019
Questions (72)
Written answers
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of the scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
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 complete the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2019/20 school year.
The children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest education centre.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available on existing services after eligible children have been accommodated.
In this regard the family in question should complete the online application process and liaise with their local Bus Éireann office if they wish to avail of transport on a concessionary basis for the next school year.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.