Bernard Durkan
Ceist:969. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education when school transport will be facilitated in the case of children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43704/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 8 September 2022
Ceisteanna (969)
Freagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
In addition, temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year pending completion of the review of the School Transport Scheme. This will mean that transport arrangements will continue to be provided for a number of post-primary students who are attending their second nearest school, who have applied and registered on time and who live more than 4.8km from their nearest school.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application 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.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
With regard to the first pupil referred to by the Deputy, Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil is not eligible for transport as they are attending their fourth closest school. While an application for transport was first received for this pupil on 2nd August, 2018 for the 2018/19 school year and the application was carried forward to subsequent years, no ticket request was submitted before the closing date of 29th July 2022 for this pupil. The existing school transport service is currently operating to capacity and there are no seats available at present.
With regard to the second pupil referred to by the Deputy, Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil is not eligible for transport as they are attending their fourth closest school. While an application for school transport was made, no ticket request was submitted for this pupil. The existing school transport service is currently operating to capacity and there are no seats available at present.
With regard to the third pupil referred to by the Deputy, Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil is eligible for transport as they are attending their closest school. An application for transport was first received for this pupil on 16th July, 2019 for the 2019/20 school year and the application was carried forward to subsequent years. A late ticket request was received for this pupil on 30th August, 2022 and a ticket will be sent to this pupil in due course.