Written answer
School Transport
The Minister outlined Remote Area Boarding Grant eligibility for remote pupils, with grants up to €4,947 annually, rather than committing to bus funding.
605. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will give funding for bus transport for students attending a school (details supplied). [65382/26]
Comment on this
The purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme is to give pupils who are disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as students not so disadvantaged.
The terms of this scheme are set out in Circular 16/2016 which is published on the Department’s website at gov.ie: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/remote-area-boarding-grant/.
Under the terms of the scheme, a second-level school is a school which is recognised by the Department for the purpose of providing the prescribed certificate courses, which enters its students for the State examinations and is subject to inspection by the Department.
As per the circular above, the pupil “must be resident 4.8 km or more from a second-level school where suitable free second-level education is available and more than 3.2 km from a pick-up point on a transport service to such a school; and must be unable to obtain a place in a suitable second-level school within 25 km of his/her normal place of residence & should provide written confirmation of same”.
For pupils requiring an Irish medium education the outlined criteria will be applied to the nearest second level school providing instruction through Irish.
The curriculum choices provided by a school (including the provision or otherwise of transition year) within 25 km of the applicant’s normal place of residence will not be a factor in the determination of eligibility for the award of a grant.
The maximum grant payable under the scheme may not exceed €4,947 per pupil per annum. The grant is payable after each school term to the school or parent/guardian, whichever is appropriate, subject to verification by the school that the pupil has been in full-time attendance for the period concerned and a statement of the annual maintenance charge for the boarding or lodging fees, whichever is applicable, is provided.