Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
249. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Education to make provision for additional school bus places for secondary school students travelling from Collon to Ardee, County Louth, as the number of students requiring school bus places exceeds the required minimum number of ten eligible children residing in a distinct locality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41138/23]
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 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
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.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be 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.
The availability of concessionary transport may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s post primary school education cycle. 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.
Bus Éireann has advised that there are three services operating from Collon to Ardee. All services are currently operating to capacity. Of the applications received for the 2023/24 school year, those children who did not receive tickets are of concessionary status and were unsuccessful in securing a seat for the 2023/24 school year.
