Niamh Smyth
Question:66. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education for an update on the school transport for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52737/23]
View answerWednesday, 29 November 2023
Questions (66)
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.
An application for School Transport under the Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, for the child to whom the Deputy refers was received on 1st September 2023.
Bus Éireann manages the operation of the school transport scheme which includes the procurement tender process to include services provided by contractors under the scheme. This is a competitive procurement process conducted in accordance with the negotiated procedure under national and EU procurement legislation.
Bus Éireann has advised that a service for the child referred to by the Deputy has been sourced and is due to commence on Monday, 27th November 2023. Bus Éireann further advise they have liaised with the family referred with regard to the details of the service.
The procurement of a transport service can take a number of weeks and in a small number of cases there have been challenges in procuring transport in certain areas. In these instances, a Special Transport Grant (STG) towards the cost of private transport arrangements may be provided to families of eligible children.
The School Transport Section of my Department has sent details to the family referred with regard a special transport grant to assist with the cost of alternative arrangements until the commencement of the service for the child referred.