Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 September 2022
182. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education when she proposes to resolve a school transport issue affecting parents and children in the Emo, Vicarstown and Ballybrittas area of County Laois, the particulars of which have been fully outlined to Bus Éireann and are well known to her Department for many weeks; and if she will assist in bringing matters to a satisfactory conclusion. [47470/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
School Transport 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.
Bus Éireann are processing applications and issuing tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced and become available to provide transport for the higher numbers qualifying for the service.
The normal eligibility criteria of the scheme still apply and tickets continue to be allocated in line with this criteria. Pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible.
Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.
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.
With regard to the matters raised, for pupils residing in the area outlined by the Deputy, Bus Éireann have confirmed that as this area is in the middle of three Post Primary Centres. In order to ascertain a family’s eligibility status, it would depend on where they reside. There is currently one mainstream school transport service operating from the area referred to by the Deputy to the Post Primary Centre in question.
The service is a 53 seat large vehicle with 39 mainstream eligible and 14 mainstream concessionary tickets issued on board.
In line with normal practice, all eligible children who completed the application and ticket registration process on time for the 2022/2023 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
In addition, pending completion of the outcome of the full review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year.
In relation to the second area outlined by the Deputy, for pupils attending the school in question, again, eligibility status would depend on where each family reside.. For the 2022/2023 school year there were 5 applications made from pupils in this area, 2 were deemed eligible the remaining 3 are deemed concessionary.
There is currently no service available from the area outlined by the Deputy to the school in question as there needs to be 10 or more eligible applicants to warrant the establishment of a school transport service.
Further information on the eligibility of the scheme can be found at: www.gov.ie/schooltransport.
