Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 October 2019
55. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a child (details supplied) cannot now get a school bus in view of the fact they have availed of one for the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41258/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 at a cost of over €200m in 2018.
The purpose of the 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. Children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
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. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child's home to the relevant education centre.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
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.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for transport as they are not attending their nearest school and that the existing service is operating to capacity.
The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
