Sorca Clarke
Question:353. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take and the measures she is examining to reduce carbon emissions associated with the school transport scheme. [23152/23]
View answerTuesday, 16 May 2023
Questions (353)
Written answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 149,000 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. There has been an increase of 21% tickets issued to eligible students and 38% tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The School Transport Scheme is an important service for families and children.
The purpose of the 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.
A review of the School Transport Scheme is underway The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.
This review will build upon the commitments within the Programme for Government as they relate to school transport, including examining options to reduce car journeys and assessing how the School Transport Scheme can work in liaison with the Safe Routes to Schools Programme. The review will also consider how the scheme can support wider Government policy including climate action targets.
It is planned that the review will be completed shortly at which point decisions on the future operation of my Department’s School Transport Scheme will be taken. Once approved by Government it is planned that the review will be published.