Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 September 2021
140. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Education the reason parents who are medical card holders have been told that their children are not eligible to travel to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45626/21]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current 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 the Department's Post-Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school/education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/21 school year where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible, but who apply for school transport, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant school and Bus Éireann has confirmed that this may affect eligibility for certain families in the area referred to by the Deputy. If the Deputy has queries in regard to a specific family or families School Transport will advise on an individual basis.
