13 Deputy Christy O’Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she would consider revising the school transport guidelines to allow for the use of a bigger bus when there are students who qualify for a concessionary ticket and are willing to pay for a yearly ticket on a particular route (details supplied) [39572/10]

Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport.

Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport schemes on behalf of my Department, has advised that the specific school transport service referred to by the Deputy is operating to capacity catering for 12 eligible pupils and 3 concessionary fare paying pupils.

The Deputy will be aware that pupils in the concessionary fare paying category may only avail of transport if spare capacity exists on the service in question. In general, school transport routes are not extended or altered to cater for such pupils. As all eligible pupils are availing of a service within the guidelines of the primary school transport scheme there is no scope for amending the existing arrangements.