School Transport Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018

Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Ceisteanna (488)

Kathleen Funchion

Ceist:

488. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children availing of the concessionary transport scheme in the past school year. [32715/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

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.

During the course of the 2017/18 school year some 27,000 children availed of school transport on a concessionary basis.

The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.