Pearse Doherty
Ceist:226. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education when a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied) relating to a school transport issue. [46582/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 27 September 2022
Ceisteanna (226)
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, were 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 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 an agreed selection process.
Given the unprecedented demand for school transport for the upcoming school year there has been an increased volume of correspondence and calls both to Bus Éireann and to School Transport Section of the Department.
Bus Éireann previously confirmed to the families that a review of the routed mentioned by the Deputy was carried out, and confirmed the route cannot be amended to facilitate concessionary transport for non-eligible children.
I have asked Bus Éireann for a report on the matters raised, a response will issue to the Deputy in the coming days.