Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 July 2020
162. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding paying for school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17610/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.
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 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The option to make payment for transport for the 2020/2021 school yearyear is now available with a closing date for payment on the 31st July 2020. Families wishing to avail of transport for the 2020/2021 year are advised to make payment by this date.
Given that the school transport services have not been available to children from 13th March, it was decided that at the end of the 2019/2020 school year a refund for that period of closure would be issued to parents. The refunds process has commenced, with refunds in the region of €4.5 million being refunded directly to all entitled family account holders.
