Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
354. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills his proposals to make amendments to the criteria applicable to the post-primary school transport scheme (details supplied); his views on whether traffic congestion and real time travel times should also be part of the criteria applied in addition to distance when evaluating eligibility to free travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20022/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest Post Primary School/Education Centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann determines distance eligibility by measuring the shortest traversable route, which may be either pedestrian or vehicular from a family's home to their nearest school. The main purpose of this measurement is to identify the distance that families reside from their nearest school and to assess if they meet the distance eligibility criterion for school transport. In the interests of equity, this is applied on a consistent standard basis across the country irrespective of any local circumstances that may impact on travel conditions on particular routes.
Bus Éireann plans routes based on the locations of children who are eligible for school transport.
Eligible children who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the school transport charge.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis and I am satisfied with the current criteria for determining eligibility.
