260. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will review the requirement under the school transport scheme that pupils must attend their nearest school, having regard to ethos and language, to qualify for transport; whether she accepts that this can significantly restrict parental choice of school, particularly where concessionary places are unavailable due to capacity constraints; and if greater flexibility will be introduced under the scheme. [66421/26]

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.

Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

With regard to ethos, the Department of Education and Youth classifies schools as being one of the following - of religious denomination, interdenominational or multi-denominational.

At Post Primary level, eligibility for school transport is to the nearest post primary school/education centre subject to limited exceptions. The scheme has regard to ethos and language in that exceptions to eligibility for the scheme are considered in the case of minority religions and the Irish language. The scheme at Post Primary level provides transport for children of minority religion for whom there is less choice of school given the dispersed nature of these schools and also facilitates the viability of those minority religion schools.

The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money to the Exchequer.

It was outlined at the time the Review was published that the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria would further increase demand for the scheme.  Therefore, it was considered prudent to implement the changes on a phased basis.

As part of this phased rollout, 14 School Transport pilots commenced in the 2024/25 school year.  A further 11 pilots were approved for the 2025/26 school year. For these pilots, the distance criteria for pupils are reduced to 2km for primary and post primary and the need for a pupil to be attending their nearest school is removed.

Due to ongoing challenges in the wider transport sector, including availability of drivers and vehicles, any expansion of services must be carefully planned and phased. While pilot projects are considered in select areas to test revised eligibility criteria, these pilots are limited in scope and capacity.

An evaluation of the pilots in the 2025/2026 school year is currently underway. The findings from the evaluation will inform the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme subject to the availability of resources.

It must be recognised that there has been significant additional investment in the scheme in recent years to accommodate the current service provided to over 180,000 children, further expansion will require further investment and reform. In terms of supporting rural families, where there are not enough eligible children to establish or retain a school transport service, families may be offered the Remote Area Grant (RAG). This grant helps eligible families with the cost of making their own transport arrangements when school transport cannot be provided.  The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.