Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 October 2022
365. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the temporary alleviation measures provided for a student (details supplied) on the bus route from Straide to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48060/22]
View answer366. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the temporary alleviation measures that will be provided for two students (details supplied) on the bus route from Straide to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48061/22]
View answer367. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the temporary alleviation measures that will be provided for two students (details supplied) on the bus route from Straide to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48062/22]
View answer368. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the temporary alleviation measures that will be provided for two students (details supplied) on the bus route from Straide to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48063/22]
View answer369. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the temporary alleviation measures that will be provided for a student (details supplied) on the bus route from Ballyvary to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48064/22]
View answer370. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the temporary alleviation measures that will be provided for two students (details supplied) on the bus route from Ballyvary to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48065/22]
View answer371. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when temporary alleviation measures will be provided for a child (details supplied) on the school bus route from Straide to Castlebar who is a concessionary ticket holder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48075/22]
View answer372. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when temporary alleviation measures will be provided for children (details supplied) within a household on the school bus route from Straide to Castlebar who is a concessionary ticket holder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48076/22]
View answer373. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when temporary alleviation measures will be provided for children (details supplied) within a household on the school bus route from Straide to Castlebar who is a concessionary ticket holder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48077/22]
View answer374. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when temporary alleviation measures will be provided for a child (details supplied) on the school bus route from Straide to Castlebar who is a concessionary ticket holder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48078/22]
View answer375. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when temporary alleviation measures will be provided for a child (details supplied) on the school bus route from Straide to Castlebar who is a concessionary ticket holder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48079/22]
View answer376. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the temporary alleviation measures provided for children (details supplied) on the school bus route from Ballyvary to Castlebar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48080/22]
View answer381. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education when temporary alleviation measures will be provided for students (details supplied) on a school bus route who are concessionary ticket holders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48143/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 365 to 376, inclusive, and 381 together.
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.
The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply and tickets continue to be allocated in line with this criteria. 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.
In line with normal practice, all eligible children who completed the application and ticket registration process on time for the 2022/2023 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Temporary Alleviation Measures are measures pending completion of the review of the School Transport Scheme, that was initially introduced at post-primary level in 2019 and will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year. Under these measures, 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 29thJuly.
Bus Éireann has advised that the post-primary children referred to by the Deputy are all attending their third, fourth or fifth school and therefore do not meet the criteria of the Temporary Alleviation Measures mentioned above.
Bus Éireann have also advised that the primary school children referred to by the Deputy reside 1.7 km from home to their nearest school and school of attendance. These children are not eligible for school transport as they do not meet the distance criteria as set out in the primary school transport scheme.
Bus Éireann also advise that the existing school transport services are currently operating to capacity and there are no seats available and that the children referred were unsuccessful in obtaining concessionary seats for the 2022/23 school year.
Following discussions with Minister McGrath and officials in DPER as part of the budgetary process some additional funding has been approved for the scheme which will allow officials in consultation with Bus Éireann to consider and evaluate where temporary additional capacity may be available.
The initial focus will be where families applied on time and who previously held concessionary tickets, to alleviate the impact of the increased demands on the scheme for those families. However, it is important to stress that this is subject to capacity considerations. Constraints in sourcing vehicles and drivers in certain areas of the country may also mean that it may take a number of weeks to explore solutions for additional capacity.
