Peter Burke
Question:268. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if a school transport route will be considered for the Ardagh village area going to a school (details supplied). [50953/22]
View answerThursday, 13 October 2022
Questions (268)
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.
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.
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, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. 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 confirmed that pupils residing in the Ardagh Village area and are attending the school referred to are not eligible for transport as they reside closer to Longford Town Post Primary Centre.
There is currently no school transport service available from the Ardagh Village area to the school referred to, the nearest pickup point to an existing service would be in the Carrickboy/Lisdreenagh Cross area.