Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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65. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be extra funding for school transport for the 2024-25 school year. [30880/24]

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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We have been pleading with the Department for a long time for an answer for the students who are requesting a bus from Bantry to Schull Community College. Thirty-one children need this bus service. Will the Minister announce today that this bus service will be made available, giving relief to parents and children from the Bantry area?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023-24 school year more than 161,600 children, including 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02 million.

At present, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest primary school, as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. At post-primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post-primary school or education centre, as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language are deemed eligible.

There has been a significant overall increase year-on-year in school transport applications and tickets issued. In the 2018-19 school year, the total number of children availing of primary, post-primary and special educational needs transport was just over 117,800. In comparison, the number of children availing of school transport for the 2023-24 year has increased to over 161,600 which is an increase of 37%.

As part of budget measures for 2024, the Government announced an additional €50 million for school transport which will allow continued investment for children to access the school transport scheme. The increased investment on the scheme is due in the main to the cost of running it and making it available to more students.

Alongside this €50 million in funding for investment in the overall scheme, a further €42 million was provided as part of the cost-of-living measures announced in Budget 2024. This funding will be used to assist families with the costs of education and reduced fees will continue to apply on school transport for the 2024-25 academic year.

All funding for the school transport scheme for 2024 will be derived from core and current funding. Any requirement for supplementary funding for 2024 will be sought using the agreed Supplementary Estimates process.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for her reply but I did not get a reply. The question I asked was will there be a bus service provided for 31 children from Bantry to Schull Community College. The Minister has bamboozled me there with figures but I did not get a reply to the question I asked. I do not know how much time there is but I would really appreciate it if she would concentrate on that when she answers me the next time.

We are in here every day of the week speaking about climate action. Surely the first step is to put on enough school transport so that we do not have parents and grandparents traipsing all over the county trying to get their kids to and from school when there should be a bus available. We are talking about 24 km here every day and 31 children. You could be talking about 21 cars back and forth in and out of Schull from Bantry every day of the week. That is an outrageous situation. I am not here pleading for one child – I would if I had to – but I am talking about 31 children. I would really appreciate if the Minister would concentrate fully on giving me a straight answer. Is this service going to be provided by the Department or not?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the scheme is managed on behalf of the Department of Education by Bus Éireann. He will appreciate that there is a criteria of eligibility for the scheme, namely students who live 3.2 km from the nearest primary school or 4.8 km at post-primary, from their nearest or next nearest school. That is the criteria as laid down. The Deputy will be aware that more than 163,000 young people have benefitted and are benefitting from that scheme and benefitted last year from it and no doubt even more will benefit from it in the 2024-25 school year. At present, the applications of all those who have applied and have paid on time are being adjudicated as to whether they meet the existing criteria which as I have outlined for the Deputy, or 4.8 km at post-primary which is what the Deputy specifically referred to, from their nearest or next nearest school. If they meet that criteria and a route is in place, then they will be eligible.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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There are many other areas about school transport I could remind the Minister of. We have requested a larger bus or two mini buses for students in Larchfield going to Clonakilty. There are also issues in Rath National School and Laragh National School. There are lots of issues out there in relation to transport for children going to school. There are other issues such as Clogagh National School which is looking for construction of a classroom. Those are issues on which I could concentrate. However, there are 31 children who need a transport service from Bantry to Schull. I think I submitted this question on Friday so the Minister’s Department has had plenty of time to look and give a straight answer. She is not even mentioning the words Bantry to Schull in her answer. She is talking about the general rules that are laid out. Is the service going to be made available? I am asking a straight-up question: Yes or No? There is surely no greater thing to ask. Will there be a school bus service this September to give relief to the parents from Bantry who want their children to go to Schull Community College?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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For absolute clarity, in the question the Deputy submitted he made no reference to any of the schools he referred to when he took to the floor. In fact, he simply asked if there was to be increased funding made available to run the Bus Éireann service. Let us be absolutely clear about what he sought information on and what he has now asked for on the floor of the Dáil. Those are two very separate things. I endeavoured to answer the question that he put on paper and he required me to answer. I have done that. Over the last number of years, we have increased substantially the funding available to run the school transport scheme. No doubt we will do likewise in budget 2025. We have a very ambitious plan to ensure that there will be 100,000 additional young people availing of the bus service. Again, I would say that there is clear criteria at this time. If students meet that criteria and a route is in place, they will be deemed eligible. If they do not meet the criteria they will not be eligible.

We are running two new types of pilots which will do away with the distance criteria and reduce it to 2 km and which will remove the criteria of the nearest or next nearest school. Those pilots will inform how we move forward.