Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:147. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that can be taken to assist a person (details supplied) with school transport. [47277/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 14 November 2018
Ceisteanna (147)
Freagraí scríofa
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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 school.
In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were 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.
Children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2018/19 school year.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is eligible for school transport to the school referred to by the Deputy. However, Bus Éireann has also advised that payment or medical card details were not submitted within the application process timeline and that the service is now operating to capacity. My officials have been in contact with Bus Éireann to ask them to examine further options, if any, in this case.