Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
279. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education to set out in tabular form the number of pupils in Cork who applied for school transport under the primary school transport scheme for 2023/2024, who are regarded as concessionary and who have been refused school transport for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41488/23]
View answer280. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education to set out in tabular form the number of pupils in Cork who applied for school transport under the post-primary school transport scheme for 2023/2024, who are regarded as concessionary and who have been refused school transport for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41489/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 280 together.
The 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.
There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023/2024 school year in comparison to the 2022/2023 school year.
The purpose of the school transport scheme is to provide transport to pupils who qualify under the eligibility criteria of the scheme.
In relation to the Deputy's request for pupils in Cork who applied for school transport under the primary and post-primary school transport scheme for 2023/2024, who are regarded as concessionary and who have been refused school transport for the coming year; it is not possible to provide this information in the manner requested by the Deputy, as Bus Éireann continue to issue tickets to families where capacity is available.
Bus Éireann have advised however that in Cork they have issued 13,059 tickets to eligible pupils and 4,602 tickets to concessionary pupils to date at primary and post primary level for the 2023/24 school year.
