Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2022
332. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when a person (details supplied) who has applied for a bus ticket for transport to school will receive this ticket; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58798/22]
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.
I am pleased to advise that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for the school transport scheme and was issued with a ticket on the 18th of August 2022 to the school they had applied to. If wish to contact Bus Éireann, their contact details can be found on www.buseireann.ie - contact your local School Transport office.
