Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
550. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education the status of a remote area grant application of a family (details supplied) outstanding for the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54471/22]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current 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.
Under the terms of my Department’s Post Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms from their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis in accordance with the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme and subject to a number of terms and conditions.
Any remaining seats left after eligible children are accommodated are allocated to concessionary children in the usual way. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann will determine the allocation of the tickets using a digital random selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the children referred are not attending their nearest post primary school/centre and are therefore not eligible under the terms of the scheme.
Bus Éireann has further advised that the children were issued concessionary tickets on a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year.
