Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:758. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of providing free school transport to each child availing of the school transport scheme in 2021. [31150/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 15 June 2021
Ceisteanna (758)
Freagraí scríofa
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
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 2020, receipts from school transport charges amounted to approximately €12m (net of refunds issued during the 2019/20 schoo year). If school transport fees were to be abolished the cost of providing free transport to each child availing of school transport in the 2019/20 school year would be approximately an additional cost of €12m on the total cost of transport for the year.