Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
569. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education if a family can be paid the remote area transport grant retrospectively for the 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2020/2021 school years having already received approval for 2021/2022 school year if the family's circumstances and transport options have not changed over any of those school years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37943/22]
View answerSchool 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. The cost in 2021 was over €289m.
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.
An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application and payment for transport within prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. This grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2 kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.
The family referred to by the Deputy resides 7.7 km from home to their school of attendance and closest school. A transport application was received from the family on 25th February 2021 for the 2021/22 school year. As there is no school transport service in the area, the family is eligible for the Remote Area Grant for the school year 2021-22, payment of which is made during the summer months.
In the case the Deputy referred to, the first application was made in 2021 for the 2021-2022 school year. It is not the policy of the Department to make retrospective payments where no application was made for the years in question.
