Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
564. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the estimated number of students who will not receive bus tickets due to no payment or medical card received before the deadline date, late application made after the deadline date or because the application numbers exceeded the number of seats available on the bus in the coming months; and the breakdown on these estimated figures by county. [42352/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition all post primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and have applied and paid on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. This arrangement will be in place for the coming school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and are offered seats where capacity exists after all eligible children have been catered for.
The number of school transport tickets issued to date is 102,420, comprising 54,018 eligible post-primary and 14,143 concessionary post-primary tickets, and 20,269 eligible primary and 13,990 concessionary primary tickets.
The number of tickets issued at the same time last year was 96,963, therefore this is an overall increase of 5% in tickets issued this year to date. As Bus Éireann is continuing to allocate places on a daily basis where capacity is available, Bus Éireann is not in position to provide details at this point on final numbers who will not receive seats for the new school year.
Families who paid after the deadline are being advised their applications/payment is late and therefore they will not be guaranteed a seat for the new school year. As priority is being given to finalising outstanding applications received by the deadline date, any remaining seats will then be allocated to late applicants, within current capacity guidelines. Details can be provided by county as soon as all applications have been assessed.
