Paul Donnelly
Ceist:467. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education the criteria for school transport to be provided to a Gaelscoil (details supplied). [28591/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 6 October 2020
Ceisteanna (467)
Freagraí scríofa
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
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.
Under the terms of the 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/education centre as determined by my Department/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 school.
Parents of a child wishing to avail of school transport services are required to apply on-line on Bus Éireann website at www.buseireann.ie.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and may be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
It is understood that the Gaelcoláiste referred to by the Deputy is an Aonad within the Community College referred to. The procedure for applying to the Aonad, is that a family should apply to the Community College on the Bus Éireann Online Family Portal and once the application is made, the family should inform Bus Éireann that they are attending the Aonad part of the school. Eligibility will be re-assessed on the basis that the pupil is attending the Aonad.
If there are specific queries regarding eligibility or availability of services, families are advised to contact their local Bus Éireann office or School Transport Section of my Department.