Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 October 2022
270. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if she will consider supporting funding for travel passes to be used on all public transport services for staff of special schools, only to be used while travelling with their students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50962/22]
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 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. School transport funded by my Department is intended to cater for children and young person’s attending schools at primary and post primary level.
It would appear from the details supplied that the service in question is operating outside the Scheme over which my Department and Bus Éireann has no remit.
