Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021
247. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if a student (details supplied) in County Kerry who is eligible for free school transport under the medical card scheme to their nearest post-primary school will be made eligible for free transport to the second nearest school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35504/21]
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.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance that children reside from their next nearest school having regard to ethos and language. To establish that the nearest school is full parents/guardians must provide certain documentary evidence including that an application for enrolment in the nearest school was made within the deadline dates specified by the school and confirmation from the school authorities that the school was full.
To date insufficient evidence has been received from the family referred to by the Deputy. If there is additional information the family is advised to contact School Transport Section of my Department.
Further information in this regard is available on my Department's website www.education.ie.
