Robert Troy
Ceist:361. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if a school bus ticket will be issued to a person (details supplied). [48054/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 4 October 2022
Ceisteanna (361)
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 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.
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.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil(s) referred to by the Deputy in this case reside 2.9 km from their home to Moate Community School, Co. Westmeath (RN: 91501L), their nearest school and school of attendance. These pupil(s) therefore, are not eligible for transport as they do not meet the distance criteria under the Post Primary School Transport Scheme.
Ticket requests were requested for these pupil(s) on 28/08/2022, however at this stage the existing service was already operating to capacity and there are currently no seats available.
As Bus Éireann process remaining applications and where additional services may need to be put in place for eligible children, any capacity on these services will be offered to concessionary applicants.