Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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384. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that a person (details supplied) will be allocated a school bus ticket to attend a school in Carrickmacross as was the case in previous years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52942/22]

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. 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 pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of the school transport scheme and a ticket will be sent to this pupil in the coming days.