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School Transport

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022

Thursday, 8 September 2022

Questions (875, 923, 929, 938)

Verona Murphy

Question:

875. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Education the provisions that her Department is making to increase capacity within the school transport system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42992/22]

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Marian Harkin

Question:

923. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education the plans that are in place to deal with the severe shortfall in school transport places for the 2022-2023 school year, in particular the number of children who previously had concessionary transport for the past number of years and who now find themselves without school transport this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43306/22]

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Joe McHugh

Question:

929. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education the contingency plans that she has in place to deal with the extra demand for school bus tickets and for the many parents who are being notified that there is no space on a bus for their child even though an older sibling has been offered a ticket; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43465/22]

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Paul Murphy

Question:

938. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if those families who have applied and who have been told that there is no place for their child on the school bus will be urgently granted access to the school transport that they need when the additional resources in relation to the procurement of extra buses and drivers for school transport are in place (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43549/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 875, 923, 929 and 938 together.

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the last 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.

In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures. 

Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year. 

As of 1st September 2022, 121,000 tickets for the 2022/2023 school year have been issued to applicants for the new school year.  This is a significant increase on the number on tickets issued in the 2021/2022 school year.  Additional transport and drivers have been secured to cater for this increased demand for services. 

Bus Éireann will continue to process applications and to issue tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced and become available to provide transport for the higher numbers qualifying for the service. However, regrettably the unprecedented numbers of new applications for the upcoming school year, has led to some delays in issuing tickets.

The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply.

Pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school.

At post-primary level students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time and who confirmed to Bus Éireann that they require a ticket by the 29th July 2022 will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2022/23 school year where such services are in operation.

In addition, pending completion of the outcome of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level be continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport will provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied by the 29th April and registered for a ticket by the 29th July.

Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary, applicants and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat on when all eligible children have been catered for.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible pupils/students and the priority of providing places for eligible ticket holders, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann is continuing to work through remaining applications and families will be contacted as further information is available.

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