Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020
387. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education the guidelines and requirements by which Bus Éireann is bound when providing school transport with regard to distance to pickup points; the routes deemed acceptable; the alteration of services provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23846/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.
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.
Bus Éireann plans and manages the countrywide network of school transport scheme services on behalf of my Department and in this regard they are responsible for the planning for provision of new services, route itineraries and for the scheduling of services.
Under the terms of the Department's School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria (3.2km at primary and 4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis and are facilitated where spare seats exits after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets using an agreed selection process.
