1345. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has requested or plans to request a review of school transport route design and route allocation processes, particularly in rural areas, to ensure that eligible pupils are assigned to the most practical and efficient routes available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62688/26]

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth that has expanded significantly over the past six years. In that time, the numbers of children and young people using the service have grown from under 120,000 pupils in 2018 to over 181,000 pupils including over 24,000 pupils with Special Educational Needs in 2025 which equates to an increase of over 50%. Since 2018, investment in the scheme has more than doubled, from €200 million to €537 million.

Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes and for issuing tickets on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The scheme is demand-led based on the number of eligible children who apply.

As part of its operation of the scheme, Bus Éireann endeavours wherever possible to ensure all vehicles are full to capacity. Services in all locations are considered when planning mainstream services for the upcoming school year. Bus Éireann organises for vehicles to be full to capacity with tickets based on applications received and based on the seating capacity of the vehicle.