Seán Sherlock
Question:730. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if there is an application for school transport for a person (details supplied); and if consideration can be given to same. [63311/21]
View answerWednesday, 19 January 2022
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.
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.
The Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of pupils who reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that the pupil referred to by the Deputy resides 4.3 km from home to their closest school and school of attendance.
Once Bus EIireann process an application and a pupil is deemed eligible for a service, the provision of that service continues to the next school year once the annual payment has been received.
Bus Éireann has advised that while the first application for the pupil in question was received on 14 July 2017 for the 2017/18 school year and rolled on by the Bus Éireann system to following years, no payment was received for the 21/22 school year. The current service is a 33 seater service and there is no availability on board this service to offer the pupil.