Robert Troy
Ceist:162. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a discretionary bus pass will be issued to a person (details supplied). [14895/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 2 April 2019
Ceisteanna (162)
Freagraí scríofa
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. The purpose of the scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the terms of the Post-Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department of Education/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question is not eligible for school transport as he is not attending his nearest school.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats. Where the number of applications from ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available, tickets are allocated using an agreed selection process.
The family in question should liaise with their local Bus Éireann office regarding the availability of concessionary seats for the 2019/20 school year.
The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.