Peter Fitzpatrick
Question:289. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education for assistance in securing transport arrangements for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52471/23]
View answerTuesday, 28 November 2023
Questions (289)
Written answers
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.
Over 134,000 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. 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 my 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 Department of Education approved school.
The details supplied by the Deputy indicate that the transport service referred to may be a service operating outside the School Transport Scheme over which the Department and Bus Éireann has no remit.