Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
498. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if a response will issue to a school transport case (details supplied), despite the case being submitted on four separate occasions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47978/23]
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 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.
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.
The closing date for new applications for the 2023/2024 school year was Friday 28th April 2023. The closing date for payment/entering medical details for tickets for the 2023/2024 school year was Friday 9th June 2023.
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.
Temporary Alleviation Measures are in place for the 2023/2024 school year, these measures mean that transport will be provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and, who applied for school transport by the 28th April 2023 and pay for a ticket/enter medical card details by the 9th June 2023.
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.
Bus Eireann has advised that the school transport applications for the children referred by the Deputy was submitted on the 29/08/2023 which is considered a late application and at this stage the service was full to capacity and the pupils referred were not successful in obtaining seats for the current school year on a main stream service.
The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to my Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if s/he is attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education criteria.Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
Parents should contact their school principal who will assist in making an application for school transport to the SENO that is affiliated with the school the child is attending.
