Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
585. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education if she will examine a lack in school transport facilities (details supplied) from Kill village, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42571/21]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
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.
Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms at primary and 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2021/22 school year where such services are in operation. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and 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 using an agreed selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are not attending their closest post primary centre, and are therefore not eligible for transport under the terms of the scheme. Bus Éireann has also advised that there is currently no service with spare capacity for the pupils to avail of for the current school year. Payment for the pupils in question was received 25/06/2021 for the 21/22 school year and a refund will be issued in due course.
In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance the pupil resides from their next nearest school having regard to ethos and language. If a family has further information in regard to the closest school being full they should contact School Transport Section of my Department. Further information in this regard is available on my Department's website www.education.ie.
Such requests are considered on a case by case basis following documentary evidence being submitted by the family, including but not limited to:
- The detailed steps taken to enrol the pupil in the nearest and next nearest schools.
- Evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school.
- A letter from the School Authorities confirming that the school was full at time of enrolment.
