Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2023
278. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which efforts are being made to provide a solution to the issue of school transport in a number of areas of Kildare north where the demand exists including concessionary to facilitate students attending schools (details supplied) in both directions between Clane and Maynooth and Straffan and Maynooth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45317/23]
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 was 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 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.
The purpose of the 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.
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 are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation and where capacity exist.
In addition, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level are being continued for the current school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport is provided where routes are in place and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
The Department has received correspondence in relation to school transport in the North Kildare area from families who have not received tickets for the current school year (2023/2024) as they are not eligible for transport under the terms of the School Transport Scheme.
If families have applied to attend their nearest school in regards to ethos and language and have been advised by the school authorities that it is full, my Department will consider if students can be deemed eligible for transport to the next nearest school.
To establish that the nearest schools are full parents must provide:-
• The steps taken to enrol their child in the nearest and next nearest schools
• Evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the schools and
• A letter from the School Authorities confirming that the schools were full at the time of enrolment.
These families can submit details to the School Transport Section in the Department of Education at school_transport@education.gov.ie. In cases where the families are attending their third or fourth nearest school, the above documentation will be required for each school in turn.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the areas referred are not eligible for transport as they are attending their third or fourth nearest Post Primary Schools and services are full to capacity for the 2023/24 school year.
