The 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 was 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 were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
In relation to the Deputy's request for the number of students that applied for a school transport ticket for 2023/2024 on a county basis, broken down into standard, concessionary and unsuccessful applicants; Bus Éireann have submitted the data requested on the attached table.
|
Tickets Issued SCYR2223 at 11/09/22
|
Tickets Issued SCYR2324 at 08/09/23
|
% Increase SCYR2223 vs SCYR2324
|
County
|
Concessionary
|
Eligible
|
Total
|
Concessionary
|
TAM
|
Eligible
|
Total
|
Concessionary
|
Eligible
|
Total
|
Carlow
|
866
|
1678
|
2544
|
638
|
360
|
1884
|
2882
|
15.24%
|
12.28%
|
13.29%
|
Cavan
|
1270
|
2543
|
3813
|
1058
|
324
|
2607
|
3989
|
8.82%
|
2.52%
|
4.62%
|
Clare
|
942
|
2784
|
3726
|
602
|
450
|
2948
|
4000
|
11.68%
|
5.89%
|
7.35%
|
Cork
|
4112
|
12348
|
16460
|
3243
|
1359
|
13060
|
17662
|
11.92%
|
5.77%
|
7.30%
|
Donegal
|
2439
|
7471
|
9910
|
2041
|
661
|
7611
|
10313
|
10.78%
|
1.87%
|
4.07%
|
Dublin
|
460
|
2097
|
2557
|
428
|
112
|
2209
|
2749
|
17.39%
|
5.34%
|
7.51%
|
Galway
|
3016
|
7287
|
10303
|
2349
|
1154
|
7852
|
11355
|
16.15%
|
7.75%
|
10.21%
|
Kerry
|
1771
|
4051
|
5822
|
1392
|
534
|
4357
|
6283
|
8.75%
|
7.55%
|
7.92%
|
Kildare
|
1620
|
4039
|
5659
|
1370
|
372
|
4219
|
5961
|
7.53%
|
4.46%
|
5.34%
|
Kilkenny
|
1556
|
2505
|
4061
|
1197
|
423
|
2653
|
4273
|
4.11%
|
5.91%
|
5.22%
|
Laois
|
420
|
1406
|
1826
|
303
|
220
|
1490
|
2013
|
24.52%
|
5.97%
|
10.24%
|
Leitrim
|
750
|
1405
|
2155
|
562
|
231
|
1415
|
2208
|
5.73%
|
0.71%
|
2.46%
|
Limerick
|
1408
|
3808
|
5216
|
1040
|
615
|
3988
|
5643
|
17.54%
|
4.73%
|
8.19%
|
Longford
|
827
|
1544
|
2371
|
455
|
352
|
1558
|
2365
|
-2.42%
|
0.91%
|
-0.25%
|
Louth
|
919
|
3183
|
4102
|
531
|
390
|
3646
|
4567
|
0.22%
|
14.55%
|
11.34%
|
Mayo
|
1337
|
3848
|
5185
|
991
|
452
|
4070
|
5513
|
7.93%
|
5.77%
|
6.33%
|
Meath
|
1858
|
3339
|
5197
|
1615
|
598
|
3599
|
5812
|
19.11%
|
7.79%
|
11.83%
|
Monaghan
|
1017
|
2866
|
3883
|
862
|
276
|
2928
|
4066
|
11.90%
|
2.16%
|
4.71%
|
Offaly
|
1028
|
1923
|
2951
|
666
|
406
|
1934
|
3006
|
4.28%
|
0.57%
|
1.86%
|
Roscommon
|
727
|
1222
|
1949
|
578
|
194
|
1354
|
2126
|
6.19%
|
10.80%
|
9.08%
|
Sligo
|
847
|
1443
|
2290
|
767
|
272
|
1572
|
2611
|
22.67%
|
8.94%
|
14.02%
|
Tipperary
|
1976
|
3692
|
5668
|
1391
|
839
|
4003
|
6233
|
12.85%
|
8.42%
|
9.97%
|
Waterford
|
864
|
2143
|
3007
|
537
|
383
|
2332
|
3252
|
6.48%
|
8.82%
|
8.15%
|
Westmeath
|
918
|
2025
|
2943
|
630
|
375
|
2206
|
3211
|
9.48%
|
8.94%
|
9.11%
|
Wexford
|
2335
|
4483
|
6818
|
1212
|
1261
|
4616
|
7089
|
5.91%
|
2.97%
|
3.97%
|
Wicklow
|
1093
|
2638
|
3731
|
790
|
300
|
2708
|
3798
|
-0.27%
|
2.65%
|
1.80%
|
Total
|
36376
|
87771
|
124147
|
27248
|
12913
|
92819
|
132980
|
10.41%
|
5.75%
|
7.11%
|