Michael Ring
Question:994. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if a school transport service (details supplied) will be extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43823/22]
View answerThursday, 8 September 2022
Questions (994)
Written answers
The 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.
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.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. In addition,
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. Safety of children travelling on the school transport services is of paramount importance to the Department and to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.
Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
Bus Éireann has advised that the family referred to by the Deputy reside 2.9 km from home to the school they are attending, their closest school, and 1.1 km from home to the pick up point of the school transport service that they are accommodated on. This is considered a reasonable level of service in the context of the School Transport Scheme.
Home pick-ups are not a feature of the Primary School Transport Scheme.
Parents or guardians are expected to make suitable arrangements to bring their children to and from the school bus, taking whatever safety precautions they may deem necessary to do so.