Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
295. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress to date in the determination of an appeal for school transport in the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39962/23]
View answerThe 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.
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.
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.
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 and payment 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.
Due to the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year based on the capacity on the buses running on all of the various routes and the number of eligible children accommodated on each route.
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.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are attending their third nearest post primary centre.
Bus Éireann further advise that an application and payment was received on time for these pupils, however they were unsuccessful in obtaining concessionary seats for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
In cases where the Department is satisfied that your nearest and next nearest schools are full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance you reside from your next nearest school(s) having regard to ethos and language.
To establish that the nearest and next nearest schools are full parents must provide:-
• The detailed steps taken to enrol your child in the nearest and next nearest schools.
• Evidence that an application for enrolment was made within the deadline dates specified by the school(s) and
• A letter from the School Authorities confirming that the school was full at time of enrolment.
This documentation can be sent to school transport section at the address provided for consideration to school_transport@education.gov.ie
