Michael McNamara
Ceist:877. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education if she will address the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43013/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 8 September 2022
Ceisteanna (877)
Freagraí scríofa
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
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 my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Students who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and confirmation process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation for the 2022/23 school year.
Students who are not eligible but who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Under the terms of the scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year based on a number of conditions including if there is a suitable service, as determined by Bus Éireann, operating into their education centre, the capacity on the buses running on all of the various routes, and the number of eligible children accommodated on each route.
Bus Éireann have confirmed the pupil resides 0.8 km from the nearest post primary centre, Ennis post primary centre and resides 28.9 km from the school of attendance, CBS Ennistymon and is therefore not eligible for school transport. Bus Éireann have advised there is currently no suitable service operating from the pupils address to their school of attendance in order for concessionary transport to be considered.
In cases where my Department is satisfied that a student's nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance the student lives from your next nearest school in relation to ethos and language.
To establish that the nearest school is full families must provide:
- evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school, and
- a letter from the school authorities confirming that the school was full.