Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
316. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when a bus will be made available for students on route F661, who have already been allocated tickets and are attending a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40058/23]
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.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Bus Éireann has advised that the route in question is currently in the procurement process. Once a contractor is sourced the service will commence. Bus Éireann are working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible.
Until such time as the service is in place, as a ticket was issued to pupils on this service, an Exceptional No Service Interim Grant will be made available to families to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements which may have to put in place until services begin. This payment will be paid as an exceptional measure and will be calculated from the date the service was due to commence. As the payment is based on the number of days a child attends school up until the time a service has commenced it cannot be paid in advance. The Department of Education have contacted families affected directly to advise how they can avail of this grant.
