Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2020
152. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the decision to withdraw school bus transport for the July provision programme; if her attention has been drawn to the impact on schools that cover a large area across an entire county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12962/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra161. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department is providing transport for the July provision for those that have previously needed it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12998/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra196. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide school transport to support the summer provision programme for children with special needs and students in DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13256/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra205. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if transport will be provided for children with intellectual disabilities and other children that cannot avail of the summer provision without transport in July and August 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13302/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
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 current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
With regard to transport arrangements for the July Programme my Department will provide grant funding to support parents with the cost of transport arrangements for those children who are eligible for school transport and who have been approved to participate in the school based July Programme.
Schools are required to identify children who are on a School Transport service or who are in receipt of a grant. School Transport Section will be in contact with schools and families in regard to the arrangements for payment.
Grant payment is based on the distance that a family reside from their child’s school of attendance. The calculation is based on four trips per day (home to school and school to home, morning and afternoon) multiplied by the number of days a child attends school for the programme. The current rate of grant is 39.12 cent per kilometre for the first 6,437 kilometres travelled and 21.22 per kilometre for each kilometre travelled thereafter.
