Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
916. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education when decisions will be made on remote area grant applications for students (details supplied) to attend a school; the reason for the delay in processing same given that the school term has commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43244/22]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.
The purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme is to give students who are disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as students not so disadvantaged.
The terms of this scheme are set out in Circular 16/2016 which is published on my Department’s website at www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0016_2016.pdf.
The cases referred to by the Deputy have been examined by Bus Éireann, who operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department and have recently be returned to my Department.
These applications outlined by the Deputy will now be assessed by the Department and the pupil’s parents will be informed of this decision.
