Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 October 2023
114. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education if the school transport bus route that operates from Kilteevan to Dunmore can return to its original route passing to accommodate children (details supplied) that would benefit from this stop; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44529/23]
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. The number of tickets issued so far 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, as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. Safety of children travelling on the school transport services is of paramount importance to the Department and to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the scheme nationally.
Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are attending their 3rd nearest primary school. However, concessionary tickets were issued to this family on 01/07/2023 and the pupils are catered for within the guidelines as they reside 1.1km to the pickup point
Bus Eireann have further advised that the route referred has not been altered in a number of years and the pick-up point suggested by the Deputy has been reviewed and deemed not suitable for a thirty three seater vehicle.
