Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
423. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of concessionary tickets issued to families living in the Dublin Fingal west constituency for the 2024/2025 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51210/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra424. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of school bus tickets issued to families living in the Dublin Fingal west constituency who were eligible for school transport for the 2024/2025 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51211/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 424 together.
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The purpose of my 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.
In the current school year already almost 178,000 children and young people are being transported on a daily basis to schools throughout the country.
Of those 178,000 pupils, services facilitate over 100,000 mainstream pupils who are eligible for transport, as well as over 49,000 concessionary pupils.
This figure includes pupils travelling on mainstream services, pupils who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine, those residing in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centres and also dedicated services for children with special educational needs with special educational needs.
The scheme has expanded significantly over the past six years, and we have seen an almost 50% increase on the number of pupils travelling on all services.
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available as further information is required by Bus Éireann in order to provide an accurate response. School Transport Section of my Department have contacted the Deputy's office directly with a view to refining the request.
Once this is received, the response will issue directly to the Deputy.
