Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 March 2023
117. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education what action she intends to take to address the anomaly whereby children can miss out on a school bus place as they are deemed to be travelling to schools that are not their nearest, despite their parents having no choice but to send them further afield due to lack of provision of school places locally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15603/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
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.
A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process. Where there is a transport service available, Bus Éireann liaise with families regarding ticketing.
In cases where the Department is satisfied that your nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance you reside from your next nearest school having regard to ethos and language.
To establish that the nearest school is full parents must provide:-
- The detailed steps taken to enrol your child in the nearest and next nearest schools
- Evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school and
- A letter from the School Authorities confirming that the school was full at the time of the child's enrolment
This documentation can be sent to school transport section at the address below for consideration to school_transport@education.gov.ie
For families that wish to make an application for the 2023/24 School year, the Bus Éireann family portal is now open for new applications only for school transport services for the 2023/24 school year. New applications are considered as:
- Pupils who will be attending junior infants in primary school or first year in post-primary school for the first time in 2023.
- Pupils that may move home address or will be attending a new school for the 2023/24 school year
Applications can be made by visiting www.buseireann.ie/schooltransport
The closing date for new applications is Friday 28 April 2023.
Any new applications made after the closing date are considered late applications and families may not receive a ticket for school transport services.
Families do not need to make a new application if they have already applied in previous year(s) as the application will ‘rollover’ for the 2023/24 school year.
The Bus Éireann family portal will be open to accept payments/medical card details from the 3 April 2023 until 9 June 2023. Payment made after the deadline date will be deemed late and a seat may not be available to families at that stage.
