Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
574. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications received for the school transport scheme in 2018; and the number of places provided in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [33613/19]
View answerSchool 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.
Throughout the course of the school year Bus Éireann continue to issue tickets and allocate seats to pupils the year once capacity exists on any given route.
There were in the region of 3,700 children at primary and post-primary level, including 335 children with special educational needs, in Cavan who were provided with places in the 2018/19 school year.
There were in the region of 3,300 children at primary and post-primary level, including 120 children with special educational needs, in Monaghan who were provided with places in the 2018/19 school year.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.
