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.
Bus Éireann has advised that for a number of days they were unable to source a contractor/driver to operate a service for the route referred to by the Deputy and parents were notified of this issue.
Bus Éireann has further advised that their Local Office has now sourced a suitable contractor and driver to operate this service from 21/11/2022, and that their Local office are in the process of sending email communication to all families involved advising of the resumption of this service.