Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:174. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to restore school transport to the same level of funding per capita as 2008. [27527/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 26 June 2018
Ceisteanna (174)
Freagraí scríofa
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
Changes to the School Transport Scheme introduced in Budget 2011, derived from recommendations in the Value for Money Review of the Scheme and encompassed a number of elements such as:-
- national application of the distance rule of 3.2 kilometres at primary level;
- the cessation of the Closed/Central School Rule at primary level;
- the cessation of catchment boundary area to determine eligibility at post primary level and;
- an increase from seven to 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality to retain or establish a school transport service and the introduction of charges at primary level.
Given that school transport is a demand led service it is difficult to cost school transport services on the basis of restoring the Scheme to the criteria that existed pre 2011. However, in general the unit cost for transporting mainstream children is some €1,000 per annum, while the unit cost for transporting children with special educational needs is €7,000 or €9,000 when the provision of escorts are included.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.