I ask Minister for Education how she will address the long-standing shortage of school transport places across the State, if she is engaged in capacity planning, and her views on whether it will be possible that each child who wants a place in the bus will receive one.

The school transport scheme is significant operation, managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the current school year, more than 114,000 children, including more than 14,700 children with special educational needs, SEN, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country, at a cost of more than €224.7 million in 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport, and who complete the application and payment process on time, are accommodated in school transport services, where such services are in operation. Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only. They may be offered seats where capacity exists and after all eligible children have been catered for.

The Department recently commenced a review of the school transport scheme. Following commencement of this review in February 2021, in a detailed analysis and a report conducted by the technical working group in the interim period, the steering group recently presented me with its initial interim report, a report on eligibility with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next-nearest school.

Following consideration of this report, I have approved the recommendation to maintain the scheme as it currently operates, pending the outcome of the full review, but with temporary alleviation measures to continue on post-primary transport scheme services. These temporary alleviation measures allow for post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport, but who are attending their second-nearest school, who apply and pay on time, to access school transport. This will result in transport being provided for an estimated additional 1,800 post-primary pupils in the 2021-2022 school year, who otherwise would not be accommodated under the scheme. This arrangement will be in place for the coming school year pending completion of the full review of the school transport scheme.

The Department has engaged intensively with Bus Éireann in regard to the logistics for the safe operation of school transport services for the 2020-2021 school year. Based on public health advice, the Department provided for school transport scheme services for the 2020-2021 school year to fully operate, but with additional measures and hygiene requirements in place and with the rolling implementation of measures on post-primary services, as required, to provide physical distancing using 50% of passenger capacity-----

I thank the Minister. She will get a chance to get back in.

Each year parents are faced with the same problems, when it comes to the school bus transport scheme. It is fair to say the scheme is popular but it is over-subscribed. The question arises in terms of who is eligible and who is excluded. I would like to know the Minister's assessment of those who are excluded. What percentage of people are on concessionary tickets? What number of people who apply for the scheme are neither eligible nor get a concessionary ticket? The issue of unmet need is important. The suggestion that we will increase the number by 1,800 by next year is unambitious. It is out of kilter with the ambition in the climate Bill and with other obligations. Bus Éireann aims to get to 139,000 by 2030. That in and of itself is not enough, and the Minister’s ambition is half of that.

I am conscious of the issues the Deputy raises. As a consequence of that, he will be aware that there is a full review of the school transport system, which I have instigated. In the shortest term possible, we have asked for the interim report. The interim report looks at issues of eligibility in terms of nearest school and next-nearest school. I am pleased to say that in the short term, we have made those changes. There are many other changes and additions that will come on foot of the larger report, when it comes out.

Concessionary tickets are available to children who are not eligible for school transport, because they are not attending their nearest school or because they reside less than the residency distance. Transport on a concessionary basis is subject to a number of conditions which are detailed in the school transport scheme, for example, the existence of spare seats on a bus, after all eligible children have been catered for and payment of the school transport charge, regardless of whether the child holds a medical card. As a consequence of the change was announced in 2011, the evidence is there that a growing number of children have availed of school transport on a concessionary basis since 2011, rising from 4,000 on 20 November 2012 to more than 30,000 in the 2019-2020 school year. This is an increase of more than 25,000. That will increase again as-----

I thank the Minister.

There will be additional 1,800.

The scale of the ambition is not nearly where it needs to be. In the last 20 years, we have seen a 6% decrease in the number of people who avail of school bus transport, and a 31% increase in the number of children travelling to school by car. That is inconsistent with where we need to be going in terms of our modal shift. There are many compelling reasons to move people from the private car to the school bus. If this is the first year in a ten-year programme, it is not anywhere near where it needs to be.

I ask the Minister about an area that is almost neglected in terms of school bus transport, namely, the private operators who operate outside the school bus transport system in many towns and villages around this country. How many people do they carry? Is there any assessment from the Minister’s Department in terms of the private sector and how many children it carries to school on a daily basis?

The Department is clear on ambition. We recognise there are considerable issues with school transport. A review of the entire school transport scheme is under way at this point in time. To facilitate accommodations that could be made in the short term, there was an announcement of an initial finding of review, which will now accommodate an additional 1,800 pupils. In this very short space of time, to be able to produce a report of that nature that facilitates students who wish to attend their second-nearest school is a welcome, progressive, positive and, indeed, proactive approach to take. I am conscious that the fuller report, when it is completed, will address many more issues. It will provide us with opportunities to amend and introduce new measures and accommodations. There is no shortage of ambition, as the Deputy refers to it. There is no shortage of determination to address the issues of school transport.