Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
123. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the plans that are in place to ensure the maximum number of second-level students who apply for places under the school transport scheme for the 2023-2024 academic year will get them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31591/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services have been provided in the 2022/2023 school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The School Transport Scheme is an important service for families and children.
The purpose of the 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.
For the 2023/2024 school year, it remains that 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, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
In addition, pending completion of the review of the School Transport Scheme, Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2023/2024 school year. Under these measures, transport will provided for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied by the 28th of April and paid/entered medical card details by the 9th June 2023.
Officials in my Department meet with Bus Éireann on a regular basis to discuss school transport matters. In order to plan for services for the 2023/2024 school year, officials in my Department and Bus Éireann began the planning process in late 2022, and held numerous meetings to discuss the upcoming school transport requirements. They will continue to engage throughout the summer months.
For the first time, the payment closing dates were brought forward to allow more time for Bus Éireann to source capacity for the upcoming school year.
The Bus Éireann family portal has closed for all applications and payments and will reopen on 30 June 2023. This closure is necessary to allow Bus Éireann to process applications, arrange transport, assess all applications and determine whether they are eligible or concessionary and cater for Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) as soon as possible for the 2023/24 school year.
Any application made after 28 April 2023, or any payment/medical card details submitted after 9 June 2023 are late applications. Where a late application is made, a ticket is not guaranteed.
Bus Éireann plans to issue tickets to eligible students who have applied and paid/entered medical card details on time in July. After this allocation is complete, where seats are available, concessionary tickets will be issued.
Pending completion of the School Transport review, there will be no removal or downsizing of buses/routes for the 2023/2024 school year.
