Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2022
331. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when a person (details supplied) who has applied for a bus ticket for transport to school will receive this ticket; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58796/22]
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.
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 has advised that the children referred to by the Deputy reside 1.9 km from home to their school of attendance. These children are not eligible for school transport as they do not meet the distance criteria as set out in the primary school transport scheme.
Bus Éireann also advise that the existing school transport service is currently operating to capacity and there are no seats available and that the children referred were unsuccessful in obtaining concessionary seats for the 2022/23 school year.
