Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2022
410. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 345 of 4 October 2022, if she will confirm that the application for school transport in this case was received before the initial April 2022 deadline; if she will identify the national school referenced in the response as closer; and if she will confirm the patronage of this school. [51125/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current 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 School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms from their nearest primary school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis in accordance with the terms of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme and subject to the following conditions:
- an application is made by the deadline date
- there is an existing service in place
- there is spare capacity on the service
- routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis; no additional State cost will be incurred
Any remaining seats left after eligible children are accommodated are being allocated to concessionary children in the usual way. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann will determine the allocation of the tickets using a digital random selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the children referred are not deemed eligible as they are not attending their nearest school having regard to ethos as it is not their nearest school under Protestant management.
Bus Éireann has further advised that an application for the 2022/23 school year was received before the deadline date of 29th April 2022. However, there is no existing service that can accommodate the children to the school referred.
