Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 June 2021
139. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education when families can expect to receive school bus fare refunds in lieu of the post-primary school closure from January to April 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32313/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool 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.
The decision taken by the Government not to re-open schools on the 6th January 2021, followed by the subsequent phased re-opening, was taken in the interest of protecting our pupils, their families, teachers and those members of the wider community and is one of the many measures taken to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Given that school transport services have not been available for part of the current school year, it has been decided that at the end of the current school year a refund for that period of closure will be issued to parents/guardians. The Department is currently engaging with Bus Éireann in considering how best to facilitate these refunds.
