Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2023
268. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if there is funding available for the provision of a bus for primary school students to an after-school facility (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33620/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services have been provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
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.
The mainstream School Transport Scheme is intended to cater for children providing school transport from a pick up point to school and from school to a pick up point during normal school opening and closing times.
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.
Bus Éireann endeavours to ensure that a reasonable level of transport service is provided for each eligible child.
Funding is not provided to contractors who operate services outside of the school transport scheme. The request referred to by the Deputy is not a feature of the scheme.
