Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 October 2022
96. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education the number of applicants from County Monaghan for the school transport scheme in 2021 and 2022; the number of students who have applied in 2022 who are currently without a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50578/22]
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.
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 number of mainstream tickets issued in Monaghan for the school transport scheme for the 2022/23 school year are detailed below and the increase on the 2021/22 school year is shown.
|
School Year |
No. of mainstream tickets issued in Monaghan |
% Increase in tickets issued versus 2021/22 School Year |
|
2022/23 |
3946 |
17% |
|
2021/22 |
3287 |
Bus Éireann has advised that all mainstream eligible from the County referred who applied and registered on time and all concessionary pupils from the County referred who meet the criteria under TAMS have been allocated tickets for the 2022/23 school year.
It is not possible to advise the number of mainstream pupils who did not receive a ticket in the 2022/23 school year as applications are still be assessed and numbers are still being finalised.
